Give Up The Ghost
by Hawkeye33
Summary: (Indestructible Rewrite) Alex Smith was no stranger to hardships. When an attack on America leaves her home in shambles, it's up to those who remain to pick up the pieces. They hold onto the past because it's what keeps them going, but how much fight is left when nothing is what you believed it to be?
1. Ghost Stories

**A/N: This is the new, and updated version of Indestructible. I'm going to be changing some things, but you'll most likely recognize most of the things going on. Nonetheless, I hope you'll give this version a try much like you did the original and enjoy. Thanks for reading!**

 _ **EDIT: I've gone back to edit this chapter, as I stated in here Alex had a sister, and her father was in the military. It's edited to match with what was said later in the story. I'm also in the process of re-writing the chapters and editing them, which is why some may have titles and others will not. If all chapters have titles, congrats! You've managed to find this story just as I finished editing it. Seriously though, please bear with me as I do this. Thank you!**_

 **...**

The sun beat down on us, harsh and unforgiving. Beads of sweat dotted my forehead and stuck to the collar of my shirt. I had never been one for the woods, but even I had to admit it was beautiful. _Would be, if not for these bugs._ A rock had lodged itself in the sole of my shoe, and I leaned against a tree to dig it out.

"Alex, hurry up!" Logan cupped his hands around his mouth, turning from where he stood. They were well enough ahead of me on the path. I gave Logan the bird, hurrying to catch up. Hesh looked back with a raised brow and I averted my gaze, pretending not to pay attention. Only to end up tripping on a raised root. Logan snickered behind his hand when Hesh hurried back to help me to my feet. _Elias had picked today to bring us out here?_

"Seems like you're having trouble walking." Hesh teased. I shoved his shoulder. A mistake for Hesh threw me over his shoulder, spinning me before taking off up the path as we passed his brother. I squirmed, trying to get out of his grip but it was a hopeless attempt. When Hesh slowed his jog to a walk, I let my elbow rest on his back and set my chin in the palm of my hand.

"Oh, hey Shrek." Logan laughed again.

"Alight kids, that's enough." Elias cut in, though the faintest traces of a smile still lingered on his features. Hesh finally set me down and we waited for them to catch up.

I had grown up next door to the Walkers, being neighbors since we were children. It wasn't until last year that I had gotten closer to the family. Sometimes, being a little girl in pigtails felt like it was forever ago, though I was only seventeen. Logan was fifteen, and Hesh turned eighteen not too long ago. Late at night he would talk about joining the military like his dad, like my mom. Elias had been friends with my mom for years, though it had never been said how they knew each other. Hesh nudged my arm, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Something bothering you?"

"Just keep thinking of when we were younger," I faked a smile. My mind kept lingering back to my family. _So much had changed so fast._

"Guys, c'mon." Logan muttered, nudging his brother's shoulder as he walked past. "You're slow as shit." Hesh barreled towards Logan, pulling him into a headlock.

"Boys," Elias said sternly. Hesh let go of Logan, the younger brother sticking his tongue out. We fell back into silence, Hesh helping me step over a fallen tree. The dirt trail evened out again, giving room for the sun to glare into my eyes. I raised my arm to shield it the best I could. I should have at least brought my sunglasses.

"Hey, you still coming over after?"

"She better!" Logan butt in, not giving me the chance to respond. "You can make your brownies, and bring Vixen! Just like the old days."

"I'll come over." I promised. Vixen was my German shepard, a gift from my mom. A retired military dog I was told. Vixen was incredibly sweet, and I couldn't imagine her being anything but cuddly. "Elias, are we far?"

"No, not much further," Elias turned to me with a chuckle. "Your feet bothering you?"

"Just a bit." I lied. My feet hurt something awful. I wasn't used to this much hiking, something that came with the Walker family. I bit my lip and added "Hesh refused to carry me."

"That's not true!" He defended himself, "you never asked."

"You never volunteered."

Hesh offered to let me jump on his back, but I declined. I just liked teasing him. Logan stomped his foot, pretending to pout. "Hesh never lets me on his back."

Hesh muttered something under his breath, before we fell back into silence. Elias had took the lead again, and Logan let out a string of curses when he stumbled over a hidden hole in the ground. We eventually reached a small clearing, large rocks making their use as make shift seats.

 _"It was a different time, and a different enemy. Sixty different men from Tier One Teams were sent to face down a force of five hundred enemy fighters. Their objective was to force the enemy back from a civilian hospital and keep its occupants alive. For three days they held their ground, but the enemies numbers were too great._

 _The sixty were cut down to sixteen. They wouldn't last another night and the enemy knew it. Under the cover of the darkness they evacuated the hospital, sending only one of their own to lead the way. The rest returned to the line, and took up positions beneath the bodies of their fallen brothers. As they lay in wait, the blood from the dead poured over them. The sand stuck to their skin like a shroud. Changing them. Anointing them._

 _When the enemy drew near, the remaining fourteen rose out of the desert sand. They were like hunters that couldn't be seen, using stealth their enemies couldn't defend against. When the men ran dry of ammunition, they used their blades. And when the blades ran dull, they used their hands. When the dust and sand had settled, only one of the enemy had survived. He was picked up in the desert, wandering aimlessly, traumatized. He expressed warnings to the others of a force so menacing and unbeatable, that it could only be described as supernatural. He called them Ghosts."_

"And this really happened?" Hesh sounded skeptical, and I couldn't blame him. It sounded a lot like a myth. "Dad, you honestly can't believe that story is true."

"I do."

"I believe you, dad." Logan spoke up. A small tremor shook the ground beneath our feet.

"These things used to freak the hell out of your mother." Elias said as he rose to his feet. Another tremor shook the ground as the wind picked up, twisting strands of my hair around my face.

"Another one?" I asked warily. I couldn't remember a time when the tremors happened so quickly.

"It's alright, Alex." Elias reassured me. "We'll get a few more like this before they settle down."

Hesh pulled me to my feet and I brushed the dirt of the back of my jeans. We got back on the path, heading towards the neighborhood when another tremor shook the ground so hard it caused a tree to uproot. Logan fell back, scrambling away from it. I gripped Hesh's arm.

"Dad?" Logan's voice shook as he looked at Elias. The wind and tremors had gotten worse.

"Let's just get back to the house and make sure nothing got damaged." Elias began to run, and I pulled myself over the trunk before following after them. We made it back to the city streets, panting and out of breath. The house in front of me was on fire, lit up like a bonfire. Smoke rose up in a thick, grey cloud like a movie. It scared me. Movies weren't real. Tremors here never got this bad.

"It's ODIN." Elias muttered to himself. "Just get back to the house. Take care of them, Hesh."

"But the earthquake-"

"It's not an earthquake, it's ODIN!" Elias grabbed Hesh's arm, making his son meet his stare. "Get to the house and take care of yourselves. I'm going for the truck." Across the road, a car veered off the road and crashed into a light pole. It started to sway.

"Dad-"

"Just do it, son."

Hesh only nodded back, before ordering us to follow him as he took off up the stone path to his house. ODIN? I asked myself. What is an ODIN? The stairs up the drive had crumbled, breaking off into small pieces. My foot slipped, and my knee hit the ground as Logan pulled me to my feet. Hesh ushered us inside, shutting the door behind us. The second floor creaked, dust and small debris rained down on us.

"Hesh, my house- my dad-" I fumbled for words.

"Okay," he nodded. "Okay, we'll go." A piece of the second floor fell, and Logan threw open the back door, waiting on us. I pushed him aside in my hurry to get over there, climbing over the wall that separated our properties. I sprinted across the yard, slamming my door open and letting it bang off the wall.

Vixen barked loudly, meeting me in the kitchen before she ran back towards the living room. I followed after her, finding my dad relaxing in his over sized chair. "Dad?" I knelt by his side. "We have to-"

"I'm too sick to make it, Alex."

I reached for his arm. The house shuddered. My stomach churned and I tried not to throw up. I knew my dad was getting sicker, but I had been too caught up in my own life to notice just how much worse. Vixen whined, pawing at the floor. Hesh came in behind me, and my dad broke out into a coughing fit.

"Go, Alex. Before it's too late." Hesh pulled me to my feet as the ceiling in the kitchen collapsed. The kitchen pipes had burst, and I could hear water spraying everywhere. "Take care of her, David."

"Yes, sir."

"I love you, Alex."

I lost my mom last year, I couldn't lose my dad too. I struggled against Hesh's grip, but it was to use no. Vixen followed us, whining the entire time. Logan was waiting for us on the sidewalk, his face falling when he realized my dad wasn't with us. A missile hit the street and the shock wave destroyed the ground. Cracks littered the street where it hadn't broken apart in chunks. I tried to hide my tears, but there was no use. I could do nothing but watch as my home was destroyed.

"We have to find dad," Logan said to Hesh. He reached out to rub my arm. The ground shook, throwing him off balance. Hesh took the lead again, jumping across the part of the road that was turning into a crater.

"We'll get through this," Hesh offers me his hand when I slow down. I let him drag me along. A house sifted on the street, sliding into the road in front of us. We ran inside as the wall broke, blocking off our exits. It forced us up the stairs and the only way out was by jumping onto the next roof. Hesh tightened his grip on my hand as we launched ourselves onto the opposite roof. We jumped back onto street level, waiting for Logan and Vixen. Logan jumped, but lost his footing and slipped down.

"Logan!"

"I'm okay," he reassured me. His grin was pained, not even able to hide the fear in his eyes. I nodded before Hesh was dragging us down the shattered road again. Another shock wave sent a tanker headed straight for us, throwing me back into Logan. My palms scrapped against the ground, pebbles embedding themselves in my hands. Fuzz clouded the edges of my vision as Elias brought the truck over. Hesh asked me something, but the words never reached my ears. The static worsened before it faded to black.

 **...**

 **A/N: Chapter one of the re-write! Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!**


	2. Dust and Ashes

**A/N: Chapter two! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. I do have a COD: WW2 one shot on my page titled _Unbroken_ if anyone is interested in that.**

 **REPLIES:**

 ** _NCR Ranger_ \- awe, haha. Darn :(**

 ** _CallofdutyGhostLogan_ \- thank you! :) glad you like it!**

 **...**

My limbs felt heavy, a dull ache wearing them down. I forced my eyes open as I blinked away the sleep that still threatened to consume me. I nudged Vixen off my leg so I could stretch, but the grip around me tightened. Yesterday was fuzzy, but I still had enough pieces there to make sense of what had happened. For the most part. Sleeping in the back of Elias' pickup truck wasn't comfortable. "Hesh?" I mumbled.

"Hey," he said gently. I could feel his cheek pressed against my back. "I'm here." In the distance, the sun was threatening to destroy the last bit of darkness that engulfed the sky. Golden rays spilled over, soft pinks mixing in with the hue. It must have been early in the morning still, no later than seven o'clock at the latest. Logan was curled into a small ball against the other side of the truck bed, snoring softly.

"What happened yesterday?" I groaned, the pain flaring up when I had rolled over to face him. A cut lingered on the edge of his chin. I frowned as I reached out to touch the area around it.

"Do you not remember?"

"No, I do. I think." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I just need to know that what I'm remembering is real."

"San Diego was attacked. Everything's gone." His breath hitched before putting a hand on my cheek, looking at me with concerned eyes. My own breath caught in my throat. San Diego couldn't really be gone. That was my home.

"I had thought- San Diego… where are we?" I sat straight up. Too quicky because my head started to pound and everything begun to spin. I covered my face, somehow hoping that would change what Hesh was saying. Hesh sat up too, gently pulling my hands away from my face so I would meet his eyes.

"San Diego is gone, Alex. Dad said something about ODIN, that it was turned against us." Hesh spoke softly, his stare drifting off into the distance. I remembered Elias saying something about ODIN, but nothing made sense. I see smoke in the distance, and tried not to think of it as San Diego burning to nothing. "We were trying to make our way out of the city when you got hurt. You've been asleep ever since."

"That's San Diego." I pointed at the city in ruins. Hesh nodded, but I didn't ask. I took a sharp breath.

"You've been asleep for almost thirteen hours." Hesh counted quickly, looking at his watch for confirmation. Hesh laid back down, pulling me with him.

"Where's my dad?" I asked. I already knew the answer, but I wanted Hesh to tell me I was wrong. I needed him to. Hesh was silent for a minute. I didn't want to be treated like fragile china glass.

"He wouldn't come. You tried but he said he was too sick. If we stayed any longer-" Hesh cut himself off, though I could fill in the blanks. _If we stayed any longer, we would have died too_. Did that justify leaving my dad behind? I tried to stop the tears before they fell. When I nudged Vixen off my leg earlier, she had gone to lay next to Logan instead. Vixen made her way back over to me, nuzzling the crook of my elbow. Hesh pulled me closer to him, kissing the side of my head. It was something he did all the time when I was still struggling with the death of my mother. It comforted me.

"It's going to be okay. We'll find somewhere safe to go. I promise." The pinks and oranges of the early morning sky were replaced with a soft blue as the sun begin to fully rise. It was still beautiful given the circumstances. Sunrise had always been one of my favorite parts of the day, and I had snuck out of my house many times to watch it with Hesh. "Get some sleep Alex."

"You too."

 **…**

It was a little after noon when I next woke up. The sky was a clear crystal blue, save for the remnants of smoke that still lingered. I stretched, noticing that I was alone in the bed of the truck. Hesh leaned on the hood, arms crossed. He was talking with his dad, but the conversation looked heated. Not to far out, Logan was walking Vixen around and occasionally tossing a stick that she'd dart out to retrieve.

"Hey, it's about time you woke up." Hesh greeted when I hopped out of the truck and approached them. "I was getting worried."

"And you did that for nothing. I told you she would be fine son." Elias smiled, but I noticed it never reached his eyes. He waved for Logan to come back towards us, Vixen running ahead like it was a race. "Afternoon Alex."

"Morning." I mumbled.

"Dad, we have the right to know what ODIN is." Hesh turned back to Elias, the older man gazing out into the distance. I drew in the dirt with the tip of my sneaker. Elias never answered, and Hesh's jaw went rigid. He stumbled back when Vixen knocked into him on her path to me. I smiled, leaning down to rub her ears as she jumped around my feet.

"How are you feeling?" Logan asked. I shrugged before asking him the same thing and getting the same response. I pursed my lips, thinking of something to say when a sharp voice cut across the road.

"Freeze! Put your hands up now!"

I looked towards the sound and at the solider who was standing there. I didn't recognize the uniform. Vixen growled, her tail flicking back and forth angrily. My heart thudded against my chest when I realized he was pointing his rifle at us. "Vixen, stand down." I whispered.

"It's the Federation. They moved fast." Elias hummed to himself. "Get into the truck, now." I glanced at Elias, wondering if I heard him right. I felt like we should have listened to the solider. I glanced at Hesh for guidance, and he nodded. Elias and Logan hurried into the cab, Vixen getting in between them. I scrambled into the back, Hesh right behind me.

"Stop the movement or we will open fire!" He yelled again. Elias started the truck and the man nodded, raising his rifle again. A bullet grazed Hesh's upper arm and he fell into the back.

"Keep your head down!" He whispered harshly, keeping a hand on my back. Why are we whispering? Elias slammed on the pedal, the truck lurching forward as he takes off. That doesn't faze our new enemy, for they keep firing.

"Hesh, what are we supposed to do?"

"Dad, you have to do something!" Logan yelled from the front, just as they pop the back tire. The truck fishtails, and eventually flips. Logan struggled with his door, trying to get the hunk of metal opened. Vixen yowled. I used my elbows to help pull myself away from the truck. There was a hazy edge to the corners of my vision. Hesh had landed a few feet away, and he wasn't moving like Elias. Out of my peripheral vision I see the enemies approaching us, their rifles still raised. Hesh has pulled himself to his hands and knees, struggling to get his bearings. He was hurt, but he was notice this, immediately making their way over to him.

They stood over Hesh, one kicking him in the ribs and making him collapse into the ground. _Hesh, don't be stupid._ He swiped his arm out, hitting the back of the knee of the one closest to him before his partner hit Hesh with the butt of his rifle. The first one pulled out his handgun and pointed it at Hesh after checking the magazine. _I'll never make it to him in time. Logan, I need you._

"Hesh!" I let my head hit the ground. My head was a weight, weighing me down. I met Hesh's eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Why?" I asked.

Before Hesh could reply, the muzzle of the pistol was pushed into the side of his head. Hesh broke our eye contact, glaring at the solider out of the side of his eye. I could hear the solider laugh, taunting Hesh. I have to do something before I watch him die. _I can't let him die._ My fingers curled around the jagged edge of a broken chunk of rock. It dug into my fingers, leaving cuts and I recoiled my arm as I let the rock fly through the air. The rock didn't hit the solider as hard as I had hoped, but bounced off the back of his shoulder. It was enough to jerk his arm and make him pull the trigger. I covered my head as I screamed, the sound of boots echoing off the road as he approached me.

"You stupid, worthless whore!"

"Hey," Hesh yelled out. I raised my head to see Hesh had managed to pull himself to his feet, facing the solider who was still by him. He wiped blood off his lip before they fell into a heap of limbs on the ground. The one who was coming to me has turned his back, trying to clean a clean shot in. Logan tackled him to the ground, the handgun falling from his grip and sliding towards me.

 _It's like a camera, hun. Focus, point and shoot._

My mom's words echoed in my head as I aim at the solider on Hesh. My vision wavered, and I missed the first shot. I fired two more, his body collapsing on top of Hesh before I shot the one on top of Logan as well. The handgun clattered to the ground as I leaned back against the truck. My hands shook. Logan made his way over to Hesh, pulling the body off him before he knelt down to check on his brother.

"Alex." Hesh coughed. "Check on dad and Alex." He pushed Logan back. I didn't recognize Hesh between the blood and bruises that littered his face. I glanced inside the truck next to me, Elias still out cold with a steady trickle of blood from his temple. Vixen whined sadly, but didn't leave his side.

"Hesh-" I mumbled. Logan knelt by my side, grabbing one of my hands. He gave it a tight squeeze before letting go and falling back onto his heels.

"He's fine." Logan's lip trembled. He was scared, just as much as I was. Hesh stumbled over and fell to his knees next to his brother. "I'll see if I can get dad up." Hesh muttered something to Logan, before turning to look at me. I couldn't meet his eyes.

"I killed them Hesh, I shot them."

"Are you okay?"

"No," I buried my eyes into the palms of my hands as the tears took over. "I'm scared."

"Me too, Alex." He choked, and I lowered my hands. Unshed tears lingered in the corners of his eyes before he pulled me to his chest. "I don't understand what's happening."

"What do we do?"

"We fight."

 **...**

 **A/N: To anyone who read the original version of this story, Lex was taken out along with her dog Asia. Lex will have a 'replacement' of sorts later on. As things currently stand, I will probably post the prequel once this story is complete, depending on how much I get done writing it. I might even post them side-by-side. I'll keep you guys updated.**


	3. Brave New World

**A/N: Well, here's the latest update. Do enjoy. Also, I haven't said this yet but I do not own** _ **Call of Duty.**_ **If I did, I have would have my sequel by now. I only own this fic, Alex, Vixen, and whatever I change in the campaign.**

 **...**

 _[ Brave New World  
June 6th- 05:1:41  
Los Angeles, CA ]_

The Federation's rise to power had started years ago. When the great energy producing worlds were destroyed, the world powers that depended on them collapsed. And in their wake, the Federation begin to rise. The Federation united all of South America under one banner,and devoured everything in its path as it moved relentlessly to the North.

After turning ODIN against us, the Federation stood on the doorstep of America, poised for the kill. They thought that we were weak, crippled prey waiting to be taken. We fought them to a bloody stalemate. And here, just beyond the craters of No Man's Land,we find ourselves in a defensive war against a much more powerful enemy.

 **Ten Years Later**

 _"Viking Six, are you there?"_

"Copy. We're here." Hesh responded to the call. His leg twitched, waking me up. I had been using it for a pillow as I slept, but I guess the time for that was over. My sleep interrupted, I pulled myself up with a yawn, moving to rest against the wall next to Hesh.

 _"Morning."_ He mouthed, nodding at Logan who was still asleep. I raised my eyebrows in response, as I stood and begun to stretch before pulling all of my gear back on. I wasn't supposed to take it off, but we had been out all night. My body ached and I wasn't able to sleep in it.

 _"Reports are coming in. Dallas got over run last night. Command wants another sweep of the wall ASAP."_

"Ah, shit." Hesh sighed. "Any survivors?"

 _"Negative."_ Riley begin to whine, and Logan stirred in his sleep, before Hesh got up and smacks his leg. Logan sat straight up, his eyes widening as he looked around. I tossed a tennis ball to Riley, Logan insisted that we bring it. Now I see why. Riley got restless in between patrols.

"You couldn't wake me up any other way, squash head?" Logan groaned, letting his back hit the wall behind him.

"I could've woken you up earlier, but I figured you could use the sleep." Hesh shrugged. "Get ready, we got to sweep the wall." A loud crashing came from the other room, and Riley dropped the ball. It rolled away now forgotten. I grabbed my Honey Badger and pulled Logan to his feet as Hesh neared the door. "Team two, are you near our position?"

 _"Negative. We're outside. You boys get something?"_

"Riley did." I answered. "Checking it now."

 _"Sorry Alex. Roger that, we'll secure the exit. Two-One out."_ I sighed as Hesh opened the door and checked his corners, before motioning to us to move up. It seemed that Team Two always forgot I was here. There weren't a lot of females on the field, and Logan and Hesh did a lot of ops on their own before I started insisting I go along too. We continued through the room, and Riley lead us to a hole in the wall covered by a large sheet. Logan cut a hole big enough for us to squeeze through, instead of just ripping it back. Better than alerting the enemy I supposed. The hole lead us to an abandoned auditorium.

"Watch my back, I'll check up top." I tell Hesh. Logan ordered Riley to follow me and he ran after me. I keep my Honey Badger raised as I checked my corners. "Clear." I call down to the two boys. They join me at the top and we keep heading throughout the building. Another loud noise startled us, and Hesh stiffened.

"That was close. I'll check the door on the right. Get ready." Hesh said quietly as he gripped the doorknob with a gloved hand. He slowly opened it, checking the room before letting his rifle drop. I hear the clattering of what sounds like soft jumping and I lean into Hesh to look into the room. He's alerted two deer, who took off immediately.

"I guess Riley was getting hungry." I say softly, looking up at Hesh. Riley whines.

"You don't want to eat anything out here." Logan speaks, rubbing Riley's head. "We'll head back and get you some real food, boy."

 _"Six-One, sitrep?"_

"Just some local wildlife, we're good." Hesh responds.

 _"Check, we're moving up to RP Silver. Copy?"_

"We'll join you, on our way out. Meet us at the wall."

 _"Rog'."_ Two-One responds, before going silent. Hesh leads us outside and down a broken set of stairs, before we reach downtown by the wall.

"There she is." Logan smiles. "Looking like all hell but still standing. Just like Alex." Two-One makes their way over to us, just as I shove Logan's shoulder.

"Yo." Hesh calls out when they get closer.

"Sergeant." He greats.

"Your area secure?"

"Just about." Two-One responds, nodding his head forward. "Need to sweep this side of the wall, and we should be good."

"I'll take my guys and sweep the left side, should go quick." Hesh plans, waving his hand over the area we would be covering. "We'll re-group at the gas station."

"You got it." He nods, before all of Two-One move to cover their side. I trod after Hesh and Logan, walking slowly. A small tremor shook the ground beneath our feet. Ever since the day ODIN attacked, small tremors became a much more common thing. I barley noticed them anymore. Riley did, though, and he whined. Logan rubs his neck, calming the dog down. I could faintly hear radio chatter.

"Sh." I whisper, shutting Logan up from where he had been talking to Riley. "You hear that?"

"Wait for Riley's move, if he attacks shoot to kill." Hesh says, looking at the both of us as we all three move to crouch behind a broken wall. Riley growls, before leaping at the man and tearing at his throat. _That's our cue_. I peeked around the corner of my cover, firing at a couple of enemies who came too close. Soon enough, the skirmish was over as quickly as it begin.

"Fed recon, again." I announce, looking up from their uniforms. "That's the fifth one this month."

"Two-One, we just engaged another Federation Recon team. Meet us at Overwatch, we need to regroup now." Hesh commands. I shared a look with Logan. The amount of recon patrols we were encountering during our sweeps of the wall were only increasing by the month. It worried me.

 _"Check, we're on our way."_ Hesh nodded his head, and we move out. I slip down some broken rubble, causing hidden laughs from Hesh and Logan. I ignore them, and finally we re-group with Two-One. Before anyone can speak, a gunshot is heard in the distance, and we hurry over to find another Federation patrol executing civilians. One of them yells in Portuguese, raising his rifle in the air and laughing.

"Engage on my mark." Hesh shot him, and once again we fight with the enemy. It's not long before they're all down and the civilians we saved are hurrying off.

 _"All available units, we have Federation contact at the wall. We need back up now. I repeat, we are under attack."_

"This day is never ending, is it?" I asked as we begin to sprint towards Lima Charlie. They threw green smoke on their position, and I slide into cover before leaning around and firing at the enemy.

"There's a bird inbound!"

"I got it!" Logan yelled, grabbing a nearby MAAWS. I take cover behind a broken cement wall as the helicopter begins firing at me.

"Logan! Take it down!" I scream, sprinting to change cover.

"Just keep it's fire off me, I have it!" Logan aims down his sights, hitting the propeller and bringing it down. I let my head rest against the back of the wall with a sigh, before helping clear out the rest of the troops. "Is that all of them?"

"Looks like it." Hesh spoke, coming out from behind cover. I joined him and Logan in standing with the other team, as we look over the remnants of the wall. "They just won't stop coming. Corporal Davis, you're on transport."

"Roger that. Commandeering for transport." Davis went for the truck as Hesh turned to us.

"Can you two cover rear security?" Logan gave a half ass mocking salute, before he moved to load Riley into the truck. Leaving me and Hesh alone.

"How many patrols is that, Hesh?"

"I've lost count."

"Are you worried?" I asked him. I never got an answer.

 **...**

Riley whined and pawed at the door of the Humvee as we pulled to a stop. Logan let him out before jumping down himself and I follow after. The entire base seemed to be on alert, and we can put the blame on the heavy increase of Federation patrols. "Home sweet home." I muttered.

"Let's go find the old man." Hesh nodded his head. I checked to make sure my safety was still on, before adjusting the grip on my Honey Badger and following after. Logan occasionally reached down to pat Riley. While Hesh was the certified handler, everyone knew Riley was more Logan's dog. We walked through the streets, turning off into an alley and heading inside the building at the end of the street before jogging up the stairs. Elias was in the control room, looking at the different monitors.

"Dad!" Logan called out, getting his attention.

"I heard about the attack. You kids okay?" Elias immediately asked, walking over to us. It seemed with Elias, it didn't matter how old we were. We would always be kids to him. I had just turned twenty seven last month.

"I'm twenty eight, dad." Hesh corrected.

"We're fine, Elias." I said to him, nudging Hesh's arm with my own and giving him a silent glare. Hesh looked at me confused. _At least your dad is still here to worry about you._

"Walk with me." Elias said, interrupting the silent exchange between me and Hesh. Elias lead us out onto the back balcony, looking over the base. Logan knelt on the ground to continue petting Riley and some how, Hesh's hand found mine. The past ten years have been rough on all of us, but it's also kept the four of us together. There was the ever present feeling that something could happen, we could lose one of our own in the blink of an eye. Hesh squeezed my hand, and I returned it.

"Dad, they were executing civilians." Hesh informs. Riley rolled onto his back so Logan had access to his belly. Vixen had some training regiment to go to today. Which reminded me that we had a PT test tomorrow.

"I know," Elias spoke, pulling me from my thoughts. "Their recon teams round up whoever they can find to try and get into the city. It's how they practically overtook Dallas during the night.

"So what can we do?" I ask.

"You three are the only thing I got left in this world," Elias said solemnly. I frowned. "You're also the only ones I can trust."

"Dad, whatever it is the three of us are ready. I can assure you that." Hesh spoke, stepping closer to Elias. Logan looked up from playing with Riley, a curious look on his face.

"I'm sending you guys to _No Man's Land_." Elias sighed.

"Are you serious?" I asked, my mouth dropping open as I stepped next to Hesh. Elias nodded, his gaze drifting over the beach.

"We've been on the defensive for far too long." Elias continued. "So, I've elected to send you guys outside the wall. You'll link up with another recon team, gather any intel you can, then get right back here." He gave us a stern look and Hesh nodded in confirmation.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Logan stood, wiping Riley's fur off his hands and onto his uniform pants.

"Somewhere you know better than anyone, you're going home."

 **...**

 **A/N: I decided that I will be deleting the original version of this story after I catch up on the re-write. Unlike the** _ **Unloved - Take Two,**_ **this is very similar to its counter part so far and Fanfiction insists that you only have one copy of a story posted. Next chapter won't be the mission, just a heads up.**


	4. The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Remember, this chapter is a free one before we get back into the missions. Hope you're liking the re-write for the story so far.**

 **...**

"How do you think you did?" Logan asked, sitting his tray on the table and taking the seat across from me. He's still in his PT uniform as well, so Logan must have gotten done just about the same time I did. His blonde hair stuck to his forehead, matted down with sweat.

"I didn't try too hard, just enough to pass." I replied, shoving my now empty tray to the side. Logan simply nodded, before starting to eat his food. A couple of more people came over and sat down, talking to Logan until the end of breakfast.

I stayed silent through most of the conversation, keeping an eye on my watch. Going back to San Diego was stressing me out more than I cared to admit. I wasn't in the mood for idle conversation.

I bid Logan a goodbye as we headed to our respective rooms to change into our uniforms. We were supposed to have the day off aside from the PT test, but we were still on call. There was only a couple of days left until Elias was sending us back to San Diego. Going back home wasn't going to be easy, no matter how much time Elias gave us to prepare.

"Corporal Smith!" I turned around at the yell of my name.

"Private Rodriguez." I greeted. The brunette groaned.

"Can't you just call me Sofía?" She pouted. I gave a small laugh and shook my head. "Anyway, I heard you were heading to No Man's Land." There it was again. That name. _No Man's Land. Did anyone even call it San Diego anymore?_ I shrugged it off, knowing that was what it was now. Polluted heavily by Federation forces with no chance of it being home ever again.

"Yeah, that's the plan." I told her.

"Good luck, you'll need it."

"Thanks. You have any ops coming up?"

"Nah," Rodriguez chewed on her nail. "Though I can't say I envy you for once. I usually hate being cooped up here, but hey. At least you get to spend lots of time with your boyfriend." Rodriguez grinned, continuing down the hallway before I had a chance to respond to her. I shook my head, trying to forget about the encounter before heading to my room and quickly changing. I was still pulling my hair into a bun when there was a knock on the door.

"Thought I mind find you here." Hesh said after I had opened the door. I stepped back, letting him enter the room although this wasn't allowed. It didn't stop anyone on the unit from visiting others though. Long as no one got caught.

"Well, we _do_ have the day off." I reminded him. Hesh chuckled.

"I know. Walk with me?" He nodded towards the beach, where many of our units were at guard or overwatch positions.

"Sure." I finished tying my hair back before shutting my door and following him outside. It was sunny and hot. I wanted to take off my blouse already. Hesh greeted a couple people he knew before we begin walking around the perimeter. It was hard to remember what the beaches looked like before ODIN attacked and the Army chose the beach to set up defenses. A ferris wheel still stood in the distance. I breathed in deeply, letting the smell of salt water fill my nose. The waves crashed into each other, before breaking apart and coming back together again. Did ODIN hit the beaches as well? I briefly wondered how they were affected.

With my back turned to most of Fort Santa Monica and standing on the edge of the ocean, I wished I could find myself forgetting about all of it. ODIN, the Federation, the war. I had taken advantage of my home ten years ago, and now it was gone.

Hesh glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, his pace slowing. His hands were folded behind his back. He never seemed to relax anymore. The Federation kept all of us on edge and I silently cursed them. "Are you holding up okay? After the attack on the wall and everything else that's hit us lately."

I shook some sand off that was beginning to collect on the sole of my boot as I pondered my answer. Hesh had always loved anything outdoors; the woods, the beach, anything as long as it was outside. I wondered how much of that had been ruined for him, too.

"It's just another day on the job." I finally said. I wrung my hands together. Anxiety was taking over but at least Hesh was here to talk. "I'm a little nervous. More than a little."

"Would it help if I said everything will be fine? We'll deal with those patrols, same as we always have."

"It's not that," I said quickly before he could finish speaking. "It's about our next mission, going back to San Diego."

Hesh stayed silent for a moment, letting the chatter and noise from the machinery around us fill the silent. His hands stayed crossed behind his back as we kept walking. He occasionally glanced over at the waves from the ocean. I wondered if he still thought the beaches were a sight to see, or if that had died too.

"It's been ten years since we've been home, Hesh." I kept talking, stopping on a rare isolated piece of beach we had found a couple of years ago. It was the one place we could truly feel alone on Santa Monica. "Ten years. Are you not worried about seeing how much it's been changed?"

"I haven't thought too much about it, honestly. It's easier not to." Hesh finally spoke, coming to a stop next to me. His eyes still scanned the water. _Is he keeping an eye out for Federation trying to attack from the beach or is he lost in the beauty of the sea?_ Something pulled at me, wanting to call out Hesh on his lies but I let it go. It wasn't worth an argument. He never met my eyes.

"I have." I admitted. "It's been just about the only thing I can think about lately." I clenched my fists, letting my nails dig into my palms. I took a deep breath, wishing away the tears that started to brim my eyes. How much more could the Federation take from us? How much longer until we finally drive them away? Hesh stepped closer to me, grabbing my hands and pulling me to his chest.

"It won't be easy for any of Alex, but we have each other. Me, you, Logan, dad. We all have each other."

"We- _I_ left my dad in that house, Hesh. I've lost both my parents. I don't know how I can go back to that house knowing I will never see either of them again." I confessed. I remembered then that Hesh dragged me away, but I let him. I could have fought back, or ran back to the house and make my dad come with me, but I didn't. Hesh was right. Going back to San Diego was going to be hard for all of us. Guilt mixed in with my anxiety and anger. I was the only one out of the three of us voicing my complaints and fears. I finally let myself relax into Hesh's arms, laying my head against his chest and closing my eyes. I breathed in the scent of his body spray, mixed with salt water and dust. It was familiar. I knew he was close to me.

"Your dad told you to leave him. He wanted you to, you can't forget that. You tried-" Hesh cut him himself off, looking for the right words. I imagined I already knew what else he wanted to say. After mom had died, dad just got sicker. Trying to escape San Diego while trying to keep up with the medical supplies he needed would have been even more difficult. Deep down, I knew both dad and Hesh were right. I only wished it got easier over these ten years.

"I know." I whispered.

 **...**

 **A/N: Well, this chapter is a little bit shorter. I apologize for the wait, lots has been going on lately. I wasn't sure on how I wanted to tie this chapter up, so here it is. Thanks for reading.**


	5. No Man's Land

**A/N: And finally, our trio return home to San Diego. Here's _No Man's Land!_ Hope you enjoy.**

 _ **EDIT: This chapter is currently being rewritten. My laptop glitched and uploaded the next chapter while in the middle of editing. It won't let me replace it with the old one, so try to ignore the weird present/past tense going on. I apologize & will update you all when the issue has been fixed. Thanks for bearing with me!**_

 **...**

 _[ No Man's Land  
June 10th - 06:19:43  
Southern DMZ ]_

We called it No Man's Land. A mass span of destruction that between old LA and San Diego that was created when ODIN was used against us. The beaches and surf breaks of my childhood were now mined and abandoned. Elias had told us that very few men were allowed to operate inside of No Man's Land, that it was now too dangerous; too unpredictable. If Elias had chosen to send us out there, then it must have been important to him. Yet I couldn't help but to think that this was another one of his tests. A lesson that he wanted to teach us.

I resisted the urge to sneeze as a long piece of grass tickled my nose. Riley whined softly from Logan's side, and the blonde patted Riley gently. Logan moved from the cover of the tall grass, checking the camera system on Riley's back.

"Is it on?" Logan muttered to himself. "Alright boy, looks like we're good. Beginning sector scan now." Logan said us quietly. Hesh muttered in confirmation as Logan looked at the camera feed coming to the tablet.

"Contact." Logan said. "Enemy patrol approaching from the West."

"Do _not_ engage." Hesh turned to him. "Let them get closer." Riley whined and turned to Logan.

"Get ready." I whispered to the two. Riley turned back to face the enemy. "Do it now you two." Logan tapped Riley's thigh and the Shepard took off, pouncing on one of the men from behind and tearing his throat out. His team mate turned around, and begun heading our way in search of his missing partner.

"Take him out, Alex." Hesh muttered. I pull up my Honey Badger, looking through my ACOG sight as I centered on his chest. Two shots later and he lay on top of his partner.

"Clear." I announced. "Hesh, that's the third group in twenty miles." I breathed, pushing a loose strand of hair out of my eyes.

"I'm aware." Hesh replied, waving for us to follow him as he stood. I shared a glance with Logan before we follow after him. Hesh had seemed more tense lately. We walked in silence for a few minutes, before Hesh held up a fist, ordering us to stay still.

"Standby." He muttered. Hesh cautiously moved forward, keeping a hand out to balance himself as he moves. A small quake shook the ground beneath our feet making Riley whines.

"Easy boy." Logan tells him softly, running a hand through his fur. I moved to step closer to Hesh, to see what's going on when Logan holds a hand out to stop me. I turned and he shook his head. I was suddenly glad Elias insisted that Vixen stay behind. Being out here was making Riley nervous enough. Hesh lowered his gun, hanging his head and I pushed Logan's hand down as I carefully approached Hesh. His shoulders slumped as he looked at the crater below us.

"Hey." I said alerting him to my presence. Hesh looked at me for a moment before returning his gaze back to the drop below us. My eyes follow, and my breath caught in my throat. Below us lay the ruins of our old homes. I looked away.

"Welcome home, or what's left of it anyway." Hesh bit out angrily before he turned back to Logan. "Let's keep moving." He ordered us. Logan nodded, ordering Riley to follow us as we begin moving again. Up ahead, a helicopter flew over a building.

"Stalker-Six, this is Viking Actual." Hesh speaks into his headset. "We're en-route to the target location, how copy?"

 _"Solid copy, Viking. Be advised, recent reports of lots of enemy movement by your area. We're on a schedule, so get that intel and get out fast."_

"Roger that." Hesh confirmed, before everything falls silent again. Hesh carefully pushed a door open, calling back to us that it's clear before we enter the building

"Hey, check this out." Hesh chuckled, though I notice it doesn't meet his eyes. He held up an old MTS-225 and turned to show us. Upon closer inspection, I could see it's his from when Elias took the two brothers hunting as kids. I was about to ask how that got here, when I looked around and realized that we were standing in his childhood home. I swallowed hard, just as a small tremor shook the ruins of the house. Hesh put the shotgun in a scabbard on his back and sighed.

"I guess that's our sign to keep moving." I told him. He nods, and the four of us walk up the broken stairs, stepping over the destroyed wall as we stare out into the ruined city. Where downtown used to be is now instead a large, hollow crater. The buildings and houses that used to be there now completely obliterated. A half destroyed building sat on the edge of the crater.

"Not like how you remember it, huh?" I asked, trying to break the heavy silence but he didn't meet my eyes.

"This is depressing the hell out of me." Hesh sighed. "Let's go." Hesh jumped down and we follow. I paused, giving the area one last goodbye look before I followed after the two brothers and we approached a ledge overlooking a cliff.

"Watch your step, you two." Hesh instructed us, as he begin to cross carefully over the ledge. Logan muttered something sarcastically. After Hesh had crossed, I pressed my back against the ledge and begin to inch my way across. A tremor shook the ground, large chunks of rock falling off below my feet.

"Woah, shit!" I cried out, grabbing onto the makeshift rock wall behind me to steady myself. We all stopped moving, Riley letting out loud whimpers as Logan tries to comfort him. The building I spotted earlier now crumbles into pieces, falling into the crater below it.

"Alex!" Hesh called out, reaching a hand out. Logan is still petting Riley, trying to calm down the shepard. He never stopped giving us worried glances.

"I'm fine." I told them, slowly making my way across the ledge. Once I'm within his grasp, Hesh reached out for my hand and pulled me to him. Logan and Riley cross after and we continue moving forward until radio chatter is heard in front of us. "Sounds like trouble." I tell them quietly.

"Logan, sync up with Riley." Logan nodded, pulling the tablet back out and pressing a couple of buttons until the camera attached to Riley's back begins to unfold. Logan connected to the camera, and it turned as he presses another button.

"Alright, we're online." Logan said, instructing Riley to move forward and go prone under a car. Logan scanned the area with the camera, pointing out two nearby enemy soldiers. "Two tangos. Waiting for them to separate." Logan informed us. After a couple of silent minutes, one of them threw out his cigarette and begun walking away. Riley slowly approached the one who stayed, biting and tearing into his neck.

"Good boy." Logan praises. "Now where'd his friend go? Get his attention." Riley barked and the first soldier came back to where his teammate used to stand before Riley took him down as well.

"Logan, check the houses. We don't want any stragglers." Hesh instructed him. Riley disappeared from our view as he went inside.

"Sniper on the balcony." Hesh called out. "He's mine... and he's down." After it's clear, Riley moved forward again, taking down another enemy.

"Clear."

"Alright, let's move up." Hesh instructed us and we slowly advanced forward, making our way to another building. We stack up on the doors, where voices can be heard through the cracks. Logan broke a window with his elbow and Riley dove through on Logan's command. A few soldiers rushed out of the doors, but we take them down without a problem. We head through the building, coming out on the other side. A few more Federation soldiers are digging through what looks to be wreckage from ODIN.

"'Stalker-Six, we got something here. Looks like they're digging through some wreckage." I raised my hand to my headset, as Hesh continued to scan the area.

 _"What do you mean, what kind of wreckage?"_

"Not sure. It's guarded though, we're pushing through." I repeat what Hesh mouthed to me, before letting my hand drop as we shoot down the enemy. We continue through, coming to a stop outside a guard house.

 _"Viking Actual, we're getting reports of large enemy movement just ahead of you guys. If you hurry, you should be able to intercept them."_

"Roger that." Hesh replied before leading us through the boneyard. Hesh slid down a slope, and I went to follow. I ended up losing my footing and rolling to the bottom. Logan slid down behind me, laughing as Hesh helped me to my feet. I flip Logan the bird, before turning to inspect the road in front of me.

"Tracks are fresh." I tell them. "Heading that way." I point and we enter an old tunnel. A large convoy is heard up ahead. We quickly take cover behind a mound of rusted cars, ducking down as the convoy rolls passed. Hesh knifes a loan straggler in the neck, pulling his body behind the cars as we move up and into what appears to be a rusted ship. A large convention of Federation soldiers and BTR's surround the area.

"Stalker-Six, we got eyes on a massive enemy camp up ahead. Moving to investigate." Hesh informs, before turning to Logan. "Sync up on Riley, I want you to get a little closer and scan the area." Logan gets back on his tablet, the camera on Riley raising up once again as he has Riley move into the tall grass just below us.

"Get him Riley." Logan mutters, and Riley takes down a nearby soldier before he ducks back into the long grass, moving around a column. "We're in." Logan informs us, moving Riley through the grass and taking down another solider. Logan orders Riley to stop, zooming in on two men who stand atop a trailer. One is on his knees and bound, a mask with a ghost print on it.

"Is- is that a ghost mask he's wearing?" I ask. Logan shrugs.

 _"Well, well, well."_ The first man chuckles. " _So nice of you to join us."_

"Hesh, you see the guys mask?" I repeat. He still doesn't reply.

 _"Rorke?_ " The bound man asks. His head sways as he looks up, and Rorke chuckles.

"What's the matter?" Rorke mocks, leaning close to the second man and forcing him to look up. " _You look like you've seen a Ghost."_

"Who are they?" Logan asks, looking over at the two of us.

"I don't know. Just be quiet for a second." Hesh tells him, struggling to hear. Logan rolls his eyes, going back to the tablet.

 _"You won't get anything from me."_ The second man finally says.

 _"That's just too bad then."_ Rorke grins, pulling out as P226 and putting it against the mans head. He pulls the trigger, but the shot never goes off. The gun wasn't loaded, and the man drops his head in relief.

 _"Heh. You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?"_ Rorke laughs. _"Oh no. You and me have got a lot of catching up to do."_ Rorke turns around, signaling for him to be taken away before he turns to the rest of the men.

 _"Move everything to Fire Base Charlie! Including him."_ Rorke points to the man. _"Operation Homecoming will proceed on schedule."_

"Fire Base Charlie? Operation Homecoming?" Hesh repeats to himself, brows furrowed in confusion.

 _"Viking, what's your position? Better double time it before you get left behind."_ Stalker-Six asks, pulling Hesh from his thoughts.

"Rodger that Stalker-Six. Marking the rally point now." Hesh replies, before turning to Logan. "Get Riley out of there, we'll regroup with him at the exit point." Logan nods, and we slowly make our way to where Riley is waiting for us.

"Good boy Riley." Logan rubs his ears, before Riley starts barking as he takes off ahead of us. "Riley!" Logan calls, taking off after the dog.

"What is that dog up too?" Hesh asks, before taking off after the two. "Riley, heel!" I shake my head, before running after them. Riley stood in a clearing, barking at every direction but nothing was to be seen.

"Something isn't right." I tell Logan and Hesh, raising my rifle as I scan the area. The fur on Riley's back is raised, and his barking gets more fierce. Eventually, a pack of wolves make their way out of the tree line with fangs bared.

"Oh, shit." Hesh mutters, stepping back.

"Back it up, come on." Logan mutters, grabbing Riley's vest and trying to pull him back. The wolves lunge for us, and Riley engages with one while we try to shoot them away. One pins Logan down, trying to bite at his throat. Riley breaks away from his fight, tackling the one of off Logan before another wolf bites at Riley. I bring up my P226, shooting the one off Riley before one latches onto my arm. I try to shake it off, but it's no use. I finally shoot the wolf, turning to get the one off of Logan when time seems to slow down.

A man jumps out of the treeline, tackling the wolf off of Logan and shooting it before turning to the others. Now out numbered, the wolfs take off. Riley limps his way over to Logan, checking his handler as Hesh stands up and hurries over to me.

"Alex-" He trails off, taking my arm gently in his hand to look over the bite mark.

"I'm fine." I cut him off, pulling my arm back.

"You're bleeding."

"Really?" I frown, looking at my arm. "No shit Hesh."

"Let me wrap it." Hesh instructs, taking a bit of gauze from my supplies back before reaching for my arm.

"Hesh-" I trail off, letting the rest of my sentence hang in the air. Hesh finishing wrapping the wound, pulling my sleeve back down as he turns to cup my face.

"Are you okay?" He asks. I nod my head, as a small smile lingers on my face as I move closer to him.

"You two done over there?" The man who tackled the wolf snaps. I jump away from Hesh, looking away sheepishly. "You three look lost."

"Not lost." Hesh speaks up. "Just looking for Captain Merrick."

"That's me. Walker?" Merrick asks. Hesh nods. "I believe you have something for me."

"Caught some Feds who are moving a guy to Firebase Charlie." Hesh motions to Logan, who gives the intel to Merrick. "He one of yours?"

"Ajax." Merrick sighs. "We don't have a lot of time. You can stick with us, but you need to do what I say when I say it. Understood?" Merrick asks.

"Yes, sir." We nod. Merrick turns to his partner, Keegan, handing the intel to them as they lead the way. We move forward, coming up to a gate. Federation soldiers patrol the street on the other side.

"Stragglers in the road. Could be trouble." Keegan says to us.

"Keegan, post up and keep us covered." Merrick instructs, turning to face us. "You Walkers are with me."

"Alexandria Walker." Hesh grins, as he turns to me. "How does that sound?"

"It sounds like you got the worst timing." I tell him with a grin. "I don't want to be yelled at." I say quieter, nodding towards Merrick who's already moving up. Logan turns back to us and we hurry to get into position

"Kick us off, Keegan." Merrick called out. Keegan takes the first shot and soon the street is clear of Federation. Merrick waved for us to follow him and we make our way to the top of a hill overlooking an old stadium. "Take point, Keegan. Get us down there." Merrick ordered.

"Ajax doesn't have long."

 **...**

 **A/N: And here is the new chapter. Hope you enjoyed and feel free to review if you liked it. See you next chapter.**


	6. Struck Down

**A/N: New chapter. Hope you like it.**

 **...**

 _[ Struck Down  
_ _June 7th - 19:32:00_  
 _Occupied San Diego, CA ]_

They emerged from the shadows, and disappeared into the sunlight. Outside of the wall, their reputation lingered over No Man's Land like a shroud of fear. A weapon far more effective than brass or steel. Merrick and Keegan. These were the men I had heard Elias tell Hesh about... The Ghosts. And someone had dared to go against them. They were headed into San Diego, Federation territory, in order to find their man, Ajax. The Ghosts. We could only imagine them from the stories Elias told us. And now, Hesh was determined to be one of them. I could see it in his eyes.

 _"Dad?" I asked coming down the stairs. He turned from the door, where I saw Elias, one of my mom's friends and our neighbor, standing in the doorway. Both men looked distraught, an emotion I had never seen on my dad's face before. I knew before words were spoke that something was wrong. Elias gave my dad a final nod before he left, shutting the door behind him._

 _"Dad?" I repeated, trying and failing to keep my voice from shaking. I already knew what had happened, but I needed to hear my dad say otherwise. I needed him to confirm I was wrong. When he raised his head to meet my eyes, I knew that my worst fears had come to life._

 _"Alex-"_

"Alex!" Someone yelled, I blinked my eyes, letting the rest of the memory fade away. Being a soldier is what led my mom to her death, and I was starting to fear I was following in the same footsteps. "Alex," the voice repeated. I blinked again, stepping back to see Hesh was right in front of me, a worried look on his face. Logan wore the same expression on his face. Merrick looked annoyed.

"Sorry, I got caught up in my thoughts." I lied. "Won't happen again, sir." I said to Merrick this time. Hesh looked like he didn't believe me, but Merrick nodded and kept walking. Hesh occasionally looked at me out of the side of his eye, but I ignored his worried glances as we followed the Ghosts inside a building. I took a position by the door, keeping watch as Keegan begin to set up the remote sniper.

"Alright, she's online." Keegan announced, stepping back from it. He waved at Logan, who stepped forward.

"Scan around." Merrick instructed. "We need to get eyes on Ajax." Logan was quiet as he scanned the stadium, turning back at one point to get another look.

"Found him." Logan told Merrick, who pushed him back from the remote sniper to look through it himself.

"They're moving him. We gotta go in."

" _Now?_ " I asked. "What about backup?"

"What do you think you're here for?"

"Convoy incoming." Hesh announces from his guard spot by the window. Logan puts the tablet away while Keegan begins loading something into the remote sniper. Merrick checks his MK32 grenade launcher one more time before handing it to Logan.

"Pick your shots carefully, we'll have to manually trigger to detonate." Merrick instructs. I shift on my feet as Logan hits the roof of the trucks with the bombs. Sleep was calling for me, and all I wanted was to get back to Fort Monica and get some real rest.

"Convoy's clear." Hesh calls out.

"Then let's move." Merrick confirms. I check the clip in my SC-2010 one more time before following after the rest of them. We approach an empty truck, and Riley scratches at the door as he waits for someone to open it for him. Logan pulls the door open, and Riley jumps in as Logan slides to the far side. Riley rests in between his legs and Hesh climbs in after his brother.

"Watch and learn kids." Keegan says after we were all in the truck. He starts it up, before pulling out. Keegan heads towards the main gate which is guarded heavily by Federation forces. Keegan drives straight through the gate, and Logan detonates the charges at the same time. Keegan hits the breaks on the truck, causing it to turn on its side before finally coming to a stop.

"Watch and learn huh?" I asked sarcastically.

"It got-"

"Weapons free!" Merrick yells, climbing out of the truck and cutting Keegan off. We follow after him, shooting down the enemy as we make our way forward. The remnants of the exploded trucks burn, now on fire and it adds to the heat. Keegan takes point again, leading us up the stairs and to a closed door. "They should be holding Ajax in here, Logan use the remote sniper. We'll breach on your shot."

Logan pulls the tablet for the remote sniper out, focusing on the screen and seconds later, a shot sounds off. Merrick kicks the door open and we clear the room in seconds. Riley runs off into the next room, barking and growling before Logan takes off after him.

"Rooms clear, he ain't here." Hesh tells the Ghosts.

"Riley found a live one." Logan announces, as he comes back into the room. Riley is dragging the wounded soldier by his ankle to our feet. Logan pats his head, but in seconds Keegan had grabbed the man off of the floor and had him pinned to the wall. The solider yells, his voice full of panic.

"What is he saying?" I ask.

" _Get that dog away from me._ " Hesh translates. I nod, turning my back to Keegan and the soldier as he interrogates him. I keep an eye on the door, making sure no one else is headed this way. Riley begins sniffing the floor around my feet, going to another door and sitting down patiently.

"Riley's got a scent." I call out. Keegan kills the Federation solider, before we follow after Riley. A RPG shot by the enemy shakes the ground beneath our feet. I nearly lose my balance, but regain it and quickly raise my scope to find where the shot came from. Another shot hits the ground and this time, I am knocked off my feet.

"Fall back!" Merrick yells, and we head back into the room. "Logan, use the remote sniper to take them out." Logan quickly pulls out the tablet, going silent as he begins to pick them off.

"Room's clear." Logan finally announces, putting the tablet back. Riley takes off again and we hurry after the dog. Riley stops at the end of the hall, next to the door that's partially open. I glance through the crevice, turning back to the others.

"About a dozen enemies inside. Your call," I inform Merrick.

"We don't have time for this. Gas masks on." Merrick replies. I step back from the door, slipping my gas mask on as Merrick takes my place. He gives us a thumbs up, before throwing the gas inside and we hurry to drop them before they recover. We head through the room, pausing at another door.

"I'll take Alex and see if there's another entrance. We'll breach from both sides." Keegan tells his captain. Merrick nods and I follow after Keegan down the hall, as he lights a flare to show the way. We duck under some debris, a soldier coming out of the room ahead. Keegan rolls the flare at him, confusing the enemy momentarily before Keegan lunges at him with his knife drawn.

"Quick thinking." I tell him.

"Not much room for anything else."

"True shit." I agree, before we fall silent again. We finally find another door that leads into the clubhouse, and I stack with Keegan on the door.

"Found another door." Keegan speaks into his comms. "No guards."

 _"We'll wait for your go,"_ was the reply. Keegan nods, although Merrick can't see it, and turns back to me.

"Alex, on you. Hit them with the gas, then breach in five." I nod, making sure my gas mask was still secure before I open the door just enough to throw a tear gas in. I shut the door just as the yelling starts, and use my hand to count down from five. Once I hit zero, I make a fist to tell Keegan it's time and I swing the door open fully as Keegan tells Merrick it's fine. It's easy to take down the dazed enemies, and soon the room is clear.

"On Riley." Logan tells us, as Riley barks and takes us into the back room. I pull off my gas mask, along with the others as Keegan lights another flare to show our way through the dark. Ajax is on the floor, clearly in pain and the two Ghosts make their way to their teammate. Hesh turns on his flashlight, beginning to look around the room.

"How is he?" Logan speaks up from his spot in the door.

"It's bad," Keegan informs, not taking his eyes off of his teammate.

"Rorke-" Ajax coughs. "Rorke... targeting us. Look at- wall." Ajax struggles. I turn from the men, towards the wall he pointed at. I hear Keegan and Merrick talking, but I drone their voices out as I make my way over to where Hesh is standing by the wall.

"Alex-" He starts, holding a hand out to stop me. I frown, confused by his actions, but step away from his hand anyway. There's pictures of the team, I can easily spot Keegan and Merrick. There's one of Ajax, a red x over his picture. Riley whimpers, and I can hear Logan trying to calm the dog. My attention is still on the wall. "Alex, I don't think-"

Hesh trails off once he sees that I've already spotted what he was trying to hide. My heart begins to race as I reach out and grab the picture off the wall. Merrick leaves Keegan and Ajax, making his way over to where me and Hesh stand. I feel a hand on my arm, I know it's Hesh but I ignore it.

"She was a good soldier, and a good woman. But Rorke was better." I hear Merrick say.

"She was a Ghost?" I asked, but it came out more like a statement. Merrick nods, and I set the picture down. My head is swarming with questions. They knew, Merrick and Keegan knew, and my mom was on of the people Elias told us stories about. How did Elias know the stories? It was an odd feeling, to know that my mom didn't just die while doing her job. Knowing that she didn't just die while deployed. She was hunted by this man, by Rorke, and he killed her.

My entire life was a lie.

"Get him ready to move." Merrick calls out to Keegan, pointing at Ajax. "It's a kill list. Rorke has been targeting Ghosts." Merrick grabs a mask of the table, the pattern looking similar to that of his and Keegans.

"Who the hell is Rorke?" I ask.

"There's no time to explain-"

"Bullshit!" I snap, grabbing his arm. "Who the hell-" Merrick looks at my hand on his arm, then at me as his expression hardens. I realize my mistake, letting go and stepping back as I walk away from the wall. Yelling comes from outside the door, but I pay it no mind. Hesh follows after me.

"Are you okay?"

"No."

"We'll talk when we get back to Fort-"

"I said no, Hesh." Hesh nods, stepping back as Merrick instructs Keegan to grab Ajax. "You boys did okay, but you need to get back to L.A." Merrick tells the brothers. Before, I would have spoken up or cleared my throat or _something_ to remind everyone else I was here as well. Now, I had nothing to say.

"You did good too, Alex." Merrick speaks up. I look at him, and he nods. My outburst must have been forgiven. We head out of the room, leaving the wall behind us and taking down the few enemies that blocked our way. Once it's clear, we head to two deserted helicopters.

"Taking off. Thanks again." Keegan says to us, before the helicopter lifts into the air. We climb into the helicopter left for us, Logan holding Riley steady. Hesh lifts the helicopter into the air as I reach for the radio.

"Command, this is Viking. We've secured an enemy helo and are currently RTB from the south wall." I speak. "Do you copy?"

 _"Hesh, Logan, ALex?"_ A voice responds. _"Can you hear me?"_

"Elias?"

 _"There's a full Federation division making a move on Fort Santa Monica. I need you three back here ASAP."_

"Elias, what's going on?" I ask. But there's no response.

"Dad?" Hesh tries. I give him a worried look, before we continue our way back to the Fort.

 **...**

 **A/N: Here it is. Secrets exposed. In the original, Alex's mom was killed in a car crash where Alex was driving. But I got this idea for the re-write and thought it would be a lot more interesting. It was probably a bad idea. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and feel free to review if you want.  
-Hawk **


	7. Homecoming

**A/N: Here's the new chapter, I'm sorry it's so late.**

 **REPLIES:  
 _MyrenBritanika_ \- Yay! I'm glad you liked the chapter, here's the update. (Finally, right? Lol)**

 **...**

 _[ Homecoming  
June 8th - 08:31:20  
Fort Santa Monica, CA ]_

There has been plenty of times where I've seen soldiers recover their fallen men. It was inevitable as a field medic. But not like these men. There was a reverence to how the Ghosts treated Ajax, the exact opposite of how he died. Rorke had taken his time killing them, hunting them. And that included my mother. But that was then. Because right now, the Federation were once again attacking us and we were headed straight into the chaos. Somewhere in the middle of the battle was Elias, and we had to find him. I needed to find him.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" LT. Johns screamed as Hesh begin to lower the helicopter. "Those are our guys!" Johns waved his hand, signaling it was safe and my boots crunched the ground as I stepped out of the seat. I used the palm of my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, looking up at the sky as an A10 flew overhead.

"Weapons down!" CPL. Hudson yelled as well, hurrying over with his squad. I pulled my SA-805 from where it had been holstered. Riley runs around me, grateful for the chance to finally stretch his legs and I reached down to pet him briefly before checking my ACOG scope.

"You Viking?" Johns asked, glancing us over.

"Yeah, that's us." Hesh stepped up. "How can we help?"

"Command needs more people on the front line."

"Alright, we'll meet you by the command center. I'm gonna leave our dog with you."

"You mean _my_ dog." Logan muttered under his breath. I chuckled, patting his arm as I followed after Hesh. We made our way through the med bay, a tattered tent set up outside to host our wounded. More men were being brought in and I averted my eyes. The Federation had chosen to attack our base, our _home._

"Command, this is Viking. Are you still there?" Hesh questioned, raising a hand to his comms device.

 _"Affirmative, Viking. But we're losing ground and fast. We need you to help reinforce the beach front."_

"We're on our way." Hesh started, then stopped moving as he spoke again. "Any word from Captain Walker's command post?"

 _"Negative. Defensive teams were holding the position. I'm sure he made it out, son."_

Hesh tenses, before letting his hand drop and motioning for us to keep moving. I keep my rifle at the ready, following Hesh up the outside steps to the balcony. Our troops have set up machine guns and were doing what they could to hold the position.

"Vixen!" I chuckle, calling my dog over. She pounces around my feet, probably glad to see me back after so long.

"I took good care of her for ya, Corporal." Private Rodriguez smiled, making her way over to us. "She's a good dog."

"Trained by the best." I grinned back, shaking her hand. "How's the beach holding up?"

"Not well, ma'am." She shielded her eyes, glancing around the beach before turning back to us. "Every time I think we're starting to push 'em back, even more appear."

"Well, you got us now." I slapped her arm, and Rodriguez opened her mouth to reply before she was cut off.

"We're losing the beach! I need someone on the MG's _now!"_ Hudson yelled out. Hesh grabbed Logan's shoulder, pointing him towards one of the machine guns and he gestured for Rodriguez to take the other.

"I'll direct the CAS."

 _"_ _¡En eso!"_ She called back, giving me a worried look.

"I'll cover you." I told the worried Private, taking a covering stance behind her. "Let's reclaim our beach." Logan and Rodriguez both start firing down at the beach, as I fire at the enemies to keep their attention off the machine guns.

"Command, where's our air support?" Hesh calls into the comms.

 _"A10 drones are RTB at this time. It's gonna take a moment to get them back to you."_

"Make it quick or we'll lose the beach."

"There's heavy enemy artillery on our position!" I yell over my shoulder. "Hesh, where's that air support?"

"I'm doing everything I can!" He snaps back. I bite the inside of my cheek, just as the balcony is hit hard. I grab the railing to steady myself, my ears ringing loudly. I blink continuously, trying to get my vision clear.

"Command, where is that air support?" Hesh barks into the comms.

 _"A10 drones are en route to your position. ETA thirty seconds."_

"We're losing the beach!"

"Incoming enemy chopper! Get down! Get down!" Someone yells. I drop into a prone position immediately, as the helicopter fires above us.

 _"A10's are on standby and ready for tasking."_

"Logan! Use them now!" Hesh orders. I look over my shoulder, glancing at my two best friends. Logan's hands tremble as he pulls the tablet out, messing with the screen. Hesh has a bitter look on his face, but I can see the worry in his eyes. If we lose the beach, we'll lose the fort as well. Vixen whines loudly behind me, before barking out in pain and my head quickly whips in the other direction so I can check on her. She limps over to me, dropping a few feet away.

"Vix! Vixen!" I call out to her, but she doesn't get up. I cover my head from the splintering wood, as I low-crawl my way over to her. There's blood on her side, and I reach out to touch her, wondering why-

My breath catches as I realize I had never gave her the command. I never told her to hide or hold, so the entire time the helicopter was firing at us, she was just standing there. I just lost the only thing I had left of my mother, because I was too worried about everything else. I turn back to the beach, tears brimming my eyes.

 _"Multiple KIA. Good fire, good fire. Re-positioning to your location. Standby."_

"We don't have time to wait!" Logan barks into the comms. I cover my head as another enemy helicopter begins firing at us, just before I feel the balcony begin to shake.

"Everyone hold on!"

 **...**

I open my eyes carefully, the sun beating down into my face. I force myself into a sitting position, looking around for my weapon before pulling myself to my feet.

"You're good! Get up!" Hesh tells me, giving me a worried look. I brush off the way he was acting, having to remind myself that we were in a dire situation currently. He reaches for my shoulder, squeezing it tightly before turning to those of us who still stand. "We got targets in trenches! Grab some cover!"

 _"Drone controls defensive teams are reporting massive causalities and are in need of assistance!"_

"Rodger that, patch us through." Hesh answers the call. I glance out the side of my eye, Hesh standing with his rifle dangling by his side, although it's still gripped firmly. His other hand rests on the comms device, waiting for the extension to go through.

 _"We're surrounded on all sides!"_ Hammer barks into my ear. I flinch at the loud noise. _"What's your ETA?"_

"Moving through the trenches now. Hang tight, we'll get there."

"If that tower goes down, all of our A10 drones will go offline and we'll lose the beach!" Faraday yells to Hesh. Hesh glances around at us briefly, before turning back to the other man.

"Take Rodriguez, do what you can to try and flank. We'll cover from the front." Hesh instructs. Faraday nods, before the two soldiers take off in other direction and Hesh motions for us to advance forward. I stay behind cover, moving forward when I can as we tackle the enemies who line the trench.

 _"We're surrounded on all sides Viking! What is your ETA?"_

"We're almost there! Hold on!" Hesh snaps back, before the line falls silent again. Hesh looks back at us, nodding his head forward and we move up. Gunfire rings out, and we scramble for cover. I lean around the corner, popping two enemies before I have to duck back in. We push our way through, eventually reaching drone control only to find it surrounded by the Federation.

"Drone control, enemy forces are swarming the door. Need air support on your position. It's the only way we're gonna get through."

 _"Rodger that! Re-positioning now. The tower will be in your killzone, so watch that fire." _Logan falls back a little, using the cover so he can safely direct the drones. Hesh and I pick off what enemies we can, but it doesn't seem to be to any use. A missile launches, heading straight towards the second drone.

"Drone two's been hit! Drone two has been hit! It's going down!" Logan yells, pocketing the tablet once again and moving forward to re-group with me and Hesh. My eyes search the sky, stopping once I find drone two, spinning down towards the ground. The drone control tower gets hit by a missile as well from a fast mover.

"Drone control, come in." Hesh orders, but the comms remain silent. "Shit, come on. Let's move."

 _"All unitsm this is Command. A10 drone support is now offline. Fall back to secondary defense. I repeat, all units fall back from the beach."_ Command orders us. Hesh leads the way through the destroyed drone control. We pick through the enemies, making our way back onto the base.

"Dad's place is at the end of the next street. We need to move."

"There's Riley!" Logan perks up. "Riley! On us, boy." Logan calls the dog over, patting him quickly before we begin to make our way up the street. I give Riley a sad look, before trying to push Vixen out of my head. A helicopter pauses overhead, enemies beginning to rope out of it and we pick them off before they hit the ground. We push up the street, Hesh pulling the garage door open and urging us inside quickly before he steps in as well and the door crashes down behind us. The building is burning, smoke starting to fill the air and we give each other nervous looks as we rush upstairs.

"Dad? Dad?!" Hesh calls out frantically. He makes to move down the hall, for a large piece of debris to fall and block the path. We jump back, to avoid being hit by it. Hesh lifts the debris up, allowing for me and Logan to shimmy through before part of the ceiling caves again, a fiery beam crashing down and completely blocking the path.

"Hesh!" I yell out, unable to see passed the wood and debris, along with the dust and smoke that's scattered up around it.

"I'm fine!" He calls back. "I can't get through! Keep going, I'll find another way around." I pause, unsure if I should leave him alone when I feel a tug on my arm. I turn to see Logan, who nods at the second set of stairs before leading the way. I follow him up to the final story, Elias had to either be on this floor or out. Logan glances at me, and we stack up on the door before he quickly slams the door open and we head inside.

I check the opposite corner from Logan, a fist quickly meeting my face and I stumble back, dazed from the hit. Before I can regain my bearings, I'm thrown into the wall harshly. I turn my head to see Logan struggling with his own enemy, the enemy attempting to go after Logan with a knife. The one attacking me goes for me again, but I throw an elbow back, hitting him in the nose. He grunts in pain, and I turn to hit him again as he reaches for his side arm.

A loud growl causes us both to turn back through the door, our fight momentarily forgotten as Riley lunges through the air. The Fed struggles to get his side arm out of the holster, but Riley is faster. The dog tears into his throat, and I look away. I've seen a lot of things, but you never get used to them. A wave of exhaustion washes over me, and I lean against the wall trying to regain my balance. I hear a gun shot, and my head snaps up to see Hesh standing over his brother and the Fed who stabbed him previously.

"Shit, Logan. You're bleeding." Hesh fussed, his hands trembling as he tried to inspect Logan's wound. I made my way over to the brothers, collapsing on my knees next to them.

"Move," I tell Hesh softly. Hesh looks at me, frowning. I scoff, shaking my head and pointing to my patch. "I'm the medic here." Hesh nods, before scooting over to the side and I take my place in front of Logan. "Got lucky, it's not that deep. Looks worse than what it actually is." I go to give him a reassuring smile, though it was mostly for myself when suddenly the ceiling breaks and I see the Ghosts rappelling down towards us.

"Alright, get us out of here!" Keegan yells. _Why are they here?_

 **...**

"We're not going anywhere!" Hesh barks after we've been pulled into the heli. Keegan says something to him, but I didn't catch exactly what. Merrick storms out of the back, pushing Hesh against the wall.

"We just saved your asses!"

"We didn't need your help!"

"The hell you didn't!" Merrick growls, pulling Hesh by his vest and shoving him roughly into the seat next to me. The tension off Hesh radiates, and I can see him move to stand back up. I grab his arm tightly, making him stay seated and Hesh turns to me. I shake my head, telling him to stay seated. We didn't need more issues. And Merrick was right, we did need help. Merrick and Hesh continue bickering anyway, and I see Logan roll his eyes from the seat across from us. Riley lays in his lap, whimpering softly.

"Stow it, all of you!" Someone else yells. Merrick and Hesh fall silent, all of us looking up at the new person in the room. They too, have one of the Ghosts masks.

"We have to go back!" Hesh insists. "My dad is down there and I'm not leaving without him.

"That's real admirable of you," the man begins. "But your father isn't down there anymore." Logan's head snaps up, and Hesh frowns, trying to figure out what he meant.

"Look," I tell him, standing up. "Years ago I lost my mother, then my father. Today I lost my dog, and my friends. I'm not losing my captain too." The Ghost chuckles, reaching a hand up to pull his mask off.

"You're not."

"Dad?" Hesh asks. "This whole time, you were one of them. You were a Ghost."

"Try _the_ Ghost! That's your commanding officer!" Merrick snaps. Elias flashes the older man a look, before turning back to us and I fall back into my seat.

"You're a Ghost." I repeat after Hesh, shaking my hand. "You were a Ghost, alongside my mother. You _knew,_ and you never told me?"

"You guys have no idea how hard of all this way for me." Elias turns to face me. I scoff, looking away from him as Hesh reaches out to take my hand. "Once you make a choice, there's no turning back. Your mother wanted it this way Alex, and your father was on board with it too. You guys have a lot to learn, but you've passed your tests. Welcome to the Ghosts."

"We won't let you down." Logan pipes up, still running a hand through Riley's fur. He gives me a look, silently telling me to calm down. He was right, tensions were high enough as it was. And this was a matter for me and Elias to settle personally.

"There's no way you ever could. I'm proud of you. _All_ of you."

"That's all well and good," Merrick cuts in, making his way back over to us. "But what the hell are we gonna do about Rorke.

"Rorke?" I repeat. "The one hunting the Ghosts, my mom."

"He's good." Elias shakes his head, looking outside. " _Very_ good. He knows how we operate, so he has an advantage over us."

"How is that possible?"

"He was one of us."

The room falls silent, all of us mulling over Elias' words before the man turns to leave, taking Logan with him. I stand to follow, but Elias tells me to take a seat, saying he'll have Keegan do it as I needed some rest. I sit back down, Merrick leaving with the rest of his team, _our_ team, and I lean my head against Hesh's arm. It had been a long couple of days, and more trouble was brewing then what we could keep up with.

"I'm sorry about Vixen." Hesh speaks up. "I didn't say anything then, because I needed to focus on the beach. I was also a bit of a dick and-"

"You were doing your job."

"Right." Hesh says softly, looking at his hands. "Things happened so fast. I could have lost Logan, I could have lost you." Hesh falls silent, and I can see he's debating with himself. He shrugs me off his arm and begins digging in his pocket, and I sit up, giving him a worried look as I tried to figure out what he was getting at.

"Hesh?"

"This isn't the best time, but in this world is there ever a good time?" He chuckles, before moving in front of me. "Will you marry me, Alex?" I don't answer him, trying to decipher whether this was real or not. I was exhausted, I had been up for around twenty four hours now. That wasn't long enough to hallucinate, but with everything else factored in- Hesh's face begins to fall and I can't help the smile that tugs at my face. This _was_ real. We had lost so much, but we still had each other. That was what mattered.

"David Walker, you know that's a yes."

 **...**

 **A/N:** **I'm not sure if field medics actually have their own patches, and I know they don't operate the way I've portrayed it in the story. Eh, it's a fanfic, it's** _ **Call of Duty** , _**100% accuracy isn't required here. As long as I stay close enough, I think it's enough to pass. However, if I do get something incredibly wrong feel free to correct me.**

 **Alas! I am so very late but here is the next chapter. I am all caught up with the re-write, which means the original story (** _ **Indestructible)**_ **has been deleted. I didn't want to delete it, but stupid rules insisted I must (I'm looking at you, FF.) Anyway, I was unsure whether to keep the part with Hesh's proposal or not but so many people loved it previously, and I think it really adds on to their characters later on so. There it is, Hesh proposed. Heh, but thank you so much for reading. I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	8. The Fox and The Hound

**A/N: Random chapter before we get back into the missions. Hope you enjoy.**

 **REPLIES:  
 _MyrenBritanika_ \- True about the late thing, thanks for understanding! Glad you enjoyed the chapter! Here's the update :)**

 **...**

The Ghosts weren't the only people on the sub. Logically, it made sense. But it also didn't. If we were the only ones on board, it would have made it a lot easier to be alone with my thoughts. I was starting to get a migraine. I was having trouble trying to process everything that had happened in the last few days. My mother was a solider, that I knew. But to find out she was a Ghost, and in the way I found out-

I never wanted to learn my mother worked for an elite special forces group from a _kill list._

It did, however, help to fill in some gaps. Elias and my mother had been good friends, but I never understood how. They were both Ghosts. Elias had spent all these years lying to me, by keeping the truth hidden. I wondered that if I never saw the picture of her with Rorke's red X scratched across if, I would have even been told. I could have blamed my father too, for keeping the truth as well. I could have even blamed my mother, since she never told me herself before she died. But they weren't here. Elias was.

In the end, I knew no one was truly to blame. I was lied to per my mother's request. But it was hard trying to understand that, along with losing Santa Monica. Over the past ten years, the base had become our new home in addition to what it served as. But that was gone too.

The Federation was taking everything from us.

I finally raised my fist to knock on the door to Elias' office. I needed to know, whether it was what my mom wanted or not.

"Come in," Elias responds. I opened the door, shutting it gently behind me. Elias was surrounded by paperwork, looking more tired then what I've ever seen him. He looks up when I enter, setting a few files to the side. "Alex," he greets. I take a seat in one of the chairs across from him. I didn't know what to expect from his office on the sub, but it was much different from the one he had at Santa Monica.

"Busy day?" I nodded towards the files. Elias chuckled, standing from his chair as he grabbed a couple and put them away. "I feel like I need to apologize. I haven't done anything, but I tried so hard these past couple of days to be mad at you."

"Understandable."

"Yet you've done so much for me. Aside from being friends with my mom, you didn't really know me outside of being your son's girlfriend." I shook my head, the words coming out of my mouth before I could stop them. This wasn't the way I wanted this conversation to go.

"We were in the military at the same time, but didn't know each other. Not until she became a Ghost, that is. It was purely coincidence that we later became neighbors." Elias stepped back from the filing cabinet, crossing over to the front of the desk and standing by me.

"I knew you two were friends, I never knew how."

"Was there something you wanted?"

"I-" I opened my mouth, then quickly shut it. Why exactly had I wanted to talk to Elias?

"I think your mother knew. After what happened in Caracas, she changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Your father didn't completely lie to you, Alex. Natalie was on a mission, but not one for the Ghosts. Then she found something, and she went after it. The enemy was operating much like we did, and that worried her. She begin to have suspicions that somehow Rorke was involved, but she couldn't prove anything."

"What happened next?" I pushed, though something told me I didn't really want to know.

"We lost contact, sent a couple of people after her. Her mask was gone, and-" Elias trailed off, leaning against the desk behind him. Goosebumps crawled up my arms as I suppressed a shiver. "Rorke had taken his time with her, much like he did with Ajax. The only thing he left with her, was this." Elias reached behind him, handing me a crumpled photo and I took it from him, arching a brow before I turned to the picture. I recognized a couple of them, Merrick and Keegan. Ajax, then in the far back corner was Elias and my mother. The same thick red x was covering her face and I quickly handed him the picture back.

 _Don't cry, not now._

"I think that was when we knew she was right. But we still couldn't confirm anything until we lost Grim and Torch as well. You know, she would be proud of you."

 **...**

"Riley is losing his mind on this sub."

I looked up from where I was aimlessly dragging a pen across the desk top. I had left the door to my room open, hoping it would make the space feel less confined. It didn't work. Hesh was leaning on the door frame, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Is Logan not with him?"

"Logan hasn't left his side." I chuckled, figuring as much. If being on the sub was driving me up a wall, then I knew Riley wasn't faring much better. The dog was used to much more open spaces. Hesh pushed himself off the wall, crossing the room and making his way over to me. "How are you holding up?" Hesh asked, leaning over the chair behind me. I dropped the pen, letting myself lean back into him.

"He killed my mom, Hesh. I spent all this time thinking it was just some bad operation, but he drew her in, and hunted her down." I sighed. I blinked the tears back, trying to fight them. Hesh squeezed my shoulder, and I reached over to take his hand in mine. The two of us stayed like that for a couple of moments, just staying silent.

"He's hunting the Ghosts, which means he's hunting us now."

Before I could reply, there was a knock at the door. Hesh jumped back from me, and I turned to face the door. Keegan stood there, which made me relax a bit. I knew Keegan wouldn't say anything about Hesh being in my room. Keegan cleared his throat, before nodding his head down the hall.

"Get to briefing, we're going to Caracas."

 **...**

 **A/N: None of this chapter happened the way I wanted it to? But I guess it still worked out, I'm some-what happy with it. Looks like Federation Day is next, and we'll get to see the Ghosts back in action. Alex talked to Elias about her mom, so there's that. Yeah, I didn't plan on the conversations going like this, it just kinda happened but I think it went alright. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	9. Federation Day

**A/N: And here is the chapter! Hope you enjoy.**

 **REPLIES:**

 ** _MyrenBritanika_ \- Glad you liked the chapter! Yeah, in the original, I think they were kinda like that and while I was re-reading it, I was kinda like "Uhhh, yeeaahh, this is isn't going to work." Lol, so I'm glad I've been able to portray their relationship in a way that isn't over bearing or unrealistic. **

**...**

 _[ Federation Day_  
 _June 15th, 0:41:15_  
 _Caracas, Federation Capital ]_

Victor Ramos. According to Elias, he was one of the few men that Rorke actually considered a friend. Elias made the decision to let Rorke go fifteen years ago, and now, that decision had returned to not only haunt him, but his team. The Federation had gotten to Rorke before a rescue team could. Whatever they did to him, they turned him. Made him one of their own. And now, we were going back to where it all begin so we could put an end to this madness. Back to the city where Rorke lured my mom like a mouse to the cheese.

"He's right on time." Keegan announces, lowering his binoculars. "Time to earn the mask." Keegan pulls his mask over his face, as the helicopters in the air pass us and head for the building. Fire works explode in the sky, painting the darkness in various shades of red and green. I lower myself off the edge of the building and onto the next one.

"Chopper's are landing, confirm visual ID."

"On it," Logan replies, activating the optic scanner. Keegan nods, and turns back to face the target building.

"Scarecrow, this is Six-Two. Prepare to receive optical feed."

 _"Target confirmed, mission is a go."_ Elias responds. I make my way over to Hesh as Keegan continues talking to Logan. He's checking the zipline launchers, and I begin to help him after making sure my parachute was secure.

"Are you ready for this?"

"It's a mission, of course I'm ready." I scoff back at Hesh, who only nods in response. I finish securing the zipline launcher, and step back just as Keegan and Logan re-join us. Keegan gives the signal, and we all deploy our launchers before shooting the line, and on Keegan's next call we hook on. The wind whips through my hair, even though it's tied back. Keegan calls out for us to detach from the lines, and we do. I brace myself, but the impact still sends jolts through my body. We slowly begin to rappel down the building.

"Enemies in the room below." I announce. "What's the call, Keegan?"

"Let them be. Lights inside will keep them blind to us."

I nod back, continuing to rappel down the building. Being in the field and taking orders from Keegan was different. Ever since I started going out on missions, Hesh had been the one in charge, and it had always been just us. Now, it wasn't. Keegan raises a fist, ordering us to stop moving and he points through the window. A Fed sits at the table, oblivious to our presence.

"Logan, take him out on my go." Keegan commands, "Alex, shift right and take the second one out. Left is mine... Now." As soon as Keegan says the word, we all take out our enemy, the glass shattering before the bodies hit the ground.

"Targets down." Hesh calls out. "I see no one sign of anyone else on this floor."

"Good, keep moving." Keegan was the first out of the group to descend down, and the rest of us followed shortly after. "Hold your fire. Three at the poker table over here."

"Left side. One in the kitchen. One on the way." Hesh calls out.

"Logan, shift left. Hit the kitchen first. Wait until he's in the kitchen and take them both down. Me and Alex got this side." Logan nodded, while both him and Hesh moved to the left until they were in position. They fired at the same time, as did Keegan and I. The man in the middle of the room stood up, ready to call out, when we dropped him. We continue moving down.

"Control center is on this floor. Let's get inside." I flick the safety on my rifle on, letting it hang from my side as I pulled out the tool needed to cut through the window. I push back from the window, letting my feet hit the cut part as I swung inside. I unclipped myself from the line, as did the others, and we slowly made our way through the building. Logan went off with Hesh, as I followed Keegan to the power system.

"Patch in, upload the virus." Keegan waves to me, as he takes watch.

"On it." I pulled the drawer open, revealing part of the console as I put the device into the slot. The upload progress begin, and I kept an eye on the bar as it slowly rose.

 _Fifteen percent..._

 _Twenty..._

The number increased, and the upload was nearly complete when the sound of approaching foot steps and hushed voices grew louder. My head snapped up, looking at Keegan. He nodded his head, indicating that we still had a little time before the group approached us. The upload hit eighty-nine percent, and I switched between keeping an eye on the door and the progression bar. Keegan soon ducked back, motioning for me to pull out and hide.

 _Ninety percent..._

Keegan ducked into the alcove, giving me urgent looks as I waited for the upload to complete. My heart raced as the voices grew louder. The upload finally completed, and I pulled the device out and ducked back into another alcove just as the group entered the room. One was walking backwards, talking to the other three in the group as they conversed in Spanish. I crouched lowly, moving slow as I used the shadows to conceal myself. As the group of soldiers walk by and get through, one pauses right in front me as he checks his phone. The rest continue to have their conversation. The others continue on, laughing among themselves as the last one looks up, right at me.

 _"¿Que?"_ He tilts his head, stepping forward as Keegan springs from his hiding place and knifes the man.

"I've got your back," Keegan nods at me. "Let's get back to the ropes and hook up." I follow Keegan back to the ropes as he re-group with Hesh and Logan, hooking back onto our lines. "Kill the lights... _now._ " I trigger the virus, the lights inside the building simultaneously shutting down.

"Beautiful. Let's move."

"I got two on the left balcony." I call out.

"Move down, take them out silently." Keegan orders. Logan gives me a nod, and the two of us holster our rifles, pulling our knives out as we silently descend upon the unsuspecting enemy. I pause right above one as he takes a drag on his cigarette, counting down silently with my hand before me and Logan make our move. The guard struggles, before his body falls limp and I let him the balcony. I look over at Logan to see he's taken his enemy down as well, before we continue rappelling down, stopping at the floor to elevator controls.

"Remember, we gotta shut down the elevators, seal off his chance to bolt."

"I've got the main bank in the west wing, I'll take Alex." Hesh looks at me, and I nod.

"We'll rendezvous in the junction to cut the secondaries. Logan, you're with me." Keegan replies. Logan gives us a half-assed salute, before following Keegan in. I chuckle, cutting another hole in the window before me and Hesh make our way inside as well. I crouch in the dark, following Hesh through the halls when the elevator next to us stops.

"Hold, let them pass." Hesh holds up a hand and I stop, carefully looking around the corner as two men exit the elevator, their rifles held loosely as they walk past chatting between themselves. Once they're out of earshot, Hesh gives the signal and we keep moving forward.

 _"Hesh, Alex, check in."_

"Almost there, we'll keep you posted." I reply to the man.

 _"Copy."_ We make our way to the controls, and I take watch by the door as Hesh begins to shut the system down.

"Main elevators offline, secondaries still active." Hesh announces.

 _"Copy that, see you in five."_

"Alright, let's go re-group." Hesh turns to me. We make our way back out, a group of soldiers hanging by the window and watching the fireworks. "Small group, how do you want to do this?"

"Strobes probably won't help. Too much light coming in from outside. Move fast?"

"On your shot, then." Hesh nods. I slowly move to cover, Hesh flashing me a thumbs up once he's ready and I take the first shot, sending the man falling over the balcony. The rest let out confused yells, panicking as they turn to search for us. I take down two more, Hesh dropping the other three before they can find us. "Clear." Hesh calls out, stepping out from behind cover.

 _"We're entering from the northeast corner."_

"Roger that. We're almost to the control room."

 _"They found our position! Get back here now!"_

"Guess that's our cue to double time it." Hesh sighs.

"Sounds like it." I shake my head as me and Hesh begin to jog back. Logan and Keegan are pinned behind cover, as a group of enemies shoot at their position. We take cover, providing supporting fire and letting Keegan and Logan fight back as the enemies scramble for cover.

"We're losing time we need to move!" Keegan yells out. More enemies enter the room, forcing us to back into cover again.

"Give me your extra charges I'll cover our exit!" Hesh yells, Logan pauses his firing for a moment as he throws the charges over to Hesh who begins setting them up.

"Hook up to the ropes. Grab your line. We need to move." Keegan orders. We blindly fire at the enemy as we make our way back over to the ropes and quickly hook up onto the line as more enemy reinforcements enter the room

"Make it quick, Hesh!" I yell out, firing at enemy. Hesh blows up the charges and he regroups with us. We back out of the building, rappelling down a few floors before we enter the building once again.

"We have to get to the HVT! Push through! We can't let Ramos get away!" Keegan yells, immediately taking cover as more enemies enter the room. We shoot them when we can, slowly being able to advance forward. I duck behind cover as someone begins firing at me, peeking around the other edge to take them down.

"Clear!" Keegan calls out, and we meet in the middle of the room. "Ramos in this room. Logan, we'll take this door. Hesh, Alex, go the other way. Cut off his chances of escape."

"Rodger that, sir." I nod, following Hesh around the room to the other door. He stacks up on side, ready to breach and I take the other side.

 _"In position."_

"Likewise."

 _"Alright. Let's do this."_ Keegan announces, as Hesh kicks the door open. He looks to his left first, before a blurry figure darts out from behind the door with a raised fist. Hesh stumbles back, and I let my rifle swing from my side as I hit Ramos in the face with a fist as well, quickly bringing my side arm out as I aim it at Ramos. The man quickly raises his hands, stepping back a bit as his head shakes, searching for another way out.

"You okay?" I ask Hesh, not taking my eyes off of Ramos.

"I'm fine." He spits back, glaring at Rorke's right hand man. Ramos suddenly charges me, knocking me back into the ground. I groan, hitting the floor and the surprise attack knocking a bit of wind out of me. Ramos charges for the door, when Hesh grabs him by the back of his collar.

 _"Damn it! He's not here! Hesh?"_

"I got him." Hesh replies bitterly, as I pull myself to my feet. I swing the other door open, stepping into the office and moving to the side as Hesh drags Ramos into the room, throwing him into a chair. Ramos moves to run again, when Hesh shoves him back down and I point my side arm at Ramos once again.

"Don't." I said sternly. Ramos swallowed thickly, looking between the four of us and putting his hands up in surrender.

"He knew you would come." Ramos speaks, carefully looking between each of us. I shared a glance with Logan, frowning.

"Where's Rorke? Where is he?" Keegan demands.

"I don't know. No one knows."

"Hesh." Keegan sighs, stepping back from the desk as Hesh advances. Hesh steps around me, grabbing Ramos by his collar again as he slams him into the table, pinning one of his arms behind his back. I put my pistol away again, moving to lean against the wall as I watch the exchange.

"You have five seconds to deliver coordinates on Rorke... _Four!_ "

"He's not here!"

 _"Three... two... on-"_

"His location is in there. In an encrypted file!" Ramos panics, using his head to nod towards a briefcase on the table. Keegan moves to grab the briefcase, when the TV behind Ramos flickers on, showing Rorke. Hesh lets go of Ramos, letting the man collapse back into his chair as he turns to face the TV.

" _Well, well, well, if it ain't the walking dead._ " Rorke taunts. I clench my fist, Rorke's image making my blood boil. " _I knew you'd follow the bread crumbs."_

"You killed my mom, you piece of shit!" I snap, launching myself off the wall and towards the TV. Rorke gives an amused chuckled, Hesh holding an arm out to stop me as I advance towards the TV. I try to push past Hesh, but he shoves me lightly back, keeping an arm between me and the TV. I turn my glare to Hesh, pacing behind him as I wait for Rorke to speak again.

 _"Ah, Alexandria Walker."_ Rorke chuckles. _"You look so much like Natalie. She was a feisty one."_ I let out an angered yell, trying to dart by Hesh and charge for the TV when Hesh wraps an arm around my waist, holding me back. I struggle against him, but he's much stronger than I am.

"Alex!"

"Hesh, get her out of here." Keegan dismisses with a wave of his hand. Hesh nods, pulling me out of the room and shutting the door behind us. I try to get past Hesh but he continues blocking the door way.

"He killed my mom, Hesh. You can't expect me to sit back and listen-"

"I don't." Hesh says sternly. "But-"

"He tried to kill Elias too, or did-"

"Jesus christ, Alex!" He snaps, "No, I didn't forget any of it. But right now, we need to find where he's hiding so we _can_ go after him."

"Yeah," I sigh, defeated. I pinch the bridge of my nose, Hesh going to touch my arm and say something else when the building begins to shake violently. Keegan and Logan hurry out of the room, Logan holding the briefcase tightly in his hand.

"You alright?" He asks me.

"Fine." I mutter, still angry. Hesh was right, though. As long was Rorke was in hiding, we weren't going to get anywhere. Logan nods, patting my arm as we hurry after Keegan through the shaking building.

"Scarecrow, mission is compromised! Attempting an aerial exfil from the 52nd floor." Keegan informs command, leading us down a stairwell. The stairs shake, knocking Logan over and I grab the sleeve of his uniform to keep him on his feet as we continue sprinting.

 _"Copy, Six-Two. Prepping emergency team for your new rally point."_

"Windows ahead!" Logan calls out.

"Copy we can jump from here! Get to the window!" Keegan confirms. We hurry to the windows, the building tilting and throwing us off our feet. We slide across the floor, reaching to grab onto something to steady ourselves. I reach out for a broken pipe, when it comes loose in my hands and I'm sent sprawling through the slanted floor again.

"Alex!" Hesh yells, reaching for me but missing. I claw at the floor, trying to find anything to grab onto when Keegan reaches out and grabs the back of my vest. With a grunt, he pulls me up so I can grab onto a nearby bar.

"Told you, I have you back." He grunts, before yelling out to the rest of us. "Ready your chutes, then let go... Drop... _now_!" We all let go of what we were holding onto, Keegan shooting the glass below our feet before we fall through and into the night sky. On Keegan's command, we open our chutes and drift through the air.

"Scarecrow, we're airborne! En route to rally point echo." Keegan looks over his shoulder at us, "Good work you three. Now let's get the hell out of here." I throw one last look at the collapsing building behind me, wanting to get far from this doomed place.

 **...**

 **A/N:** **The beginning of the chapter was a bit iffy to write, I guess since most of it was rappelling down the building and just Keegan giving orders out, but once I got to Ramos, I actually had a lot of fun writing it.**

 **Alex, upon seeing Rorke, might have acted un-professionally, but still understandable. I think we can expect a conversation about her actions in the near future. I also don't mean to make Hesh seem like a dick on missions, but they do have to act professionally, engaged or not. The mission does have to come first, after all. But I hope I'm still able to balance their jobs/relationship well.**

 **I'll start _Unloved Take-Two_ tomorrow, and have that up on either Thursday or Friday. Finally, do we want to see some more of Logan and Alex, or Keegan and Alex? I feel like it's been focused on Alex and Hesh too much lately. Heh..**

 **Sorry for such a long author's note! And this chapter is uh.. almost at 3k words. Oops. Ah, I'll stop rambling now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to review/comment if you wish, and I'll see you awesome folks next time.  
**


	10. Of Mice and Men

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so late. It's been real mentally draining for me lately. Anyway, from now on I'm going to try and update my fics on Wednesdays.**

 **...**

"C'mon, you can hit harder than that."

"Shut up."

"C'mon, Alex." I side stepped around Logan, ducking a hit and going back for his ribs. We had been sparing in the training room. I went to hit Logan again, when he dodged the hit and ended up pinning me to the ground. "That's match."

"Good job, Logan." I congratulated when he pulled me back to my feet. I swiped my water bottle off the floor, taking a long drink before I headed out of the room as I checked my watch. I had a meeting with Elias and Merrick later, and I did _not_ want to be late. Caracas did not go the way we planned, but we still got an encrypted briefcase that held some of Rorke's secrets. Not a win, but not a loss either. I groaned inwardly, already knowing what was going to be discussed. I would have to feign apologies, pull up something that would still allow me to go out into the field.

I made my way towards Elias' office, not bothering to clean up or change. Collapsing into a chair, I elected to wait until Merrick arrived before I knocked on Elias' door. It didn't take long for the captain to walk in, Keegan on his rear. I frowned, standing as they approached me. Merrick knocked on the door, Elias calling him in before he nodded for me to follow.

"Keegan?" I whispered to the man beside me.

"You know my name." The sarcasm was obvious, and my lip twitched as I glared at the man.

"Why are you here?" I asked, only getting a shrug in response. I narrowed my eyes briefly, before finally heading into the office. It was nearly the same as the last time I had been in here, I don't know why I expected anything different. More files covered the desk and Elias still looked worn out. Merrick stood to the side of the desk, and Keegan took a seat while Elias motioned for me to take the other.

"You're a good soldier, Alex. A good medic, and you've taken care of my boys more than I can count. I've never had an issue with you as long as you've been in the field." Elias started, moving files to the side and leaning his arms on the desktop. _Please don't lecture me._ "However, your skill and value to this team won't matter as long as you keep having outbursts like you did in Caracas."

"It won't happen again, sir."

"Bullshit!" Merrick snapped, uncrossing his arms. "Keegan saw the way she reacted when Rorke's face was plastered on the screen. What will she do when we're face to face with the bastard?"

"I won't make the same mistake twice." I said. Elias turned to Keegan, looking for input.

"I can vouch for her, if it wasn't for both her and Hesh, then Ramos would have gotten away. If one of us had been injured in there, we would have needed her right then. Alex made a hot headed mistake, same as you've done plenty times prior Merrick." Merrick stiffened at Keegan's words, and I wasn't sure why Keegan was taking my side. If I was in his position, I don't think I would have done the same. I made a mental note to thank Keegan later, no matter the outcome of this. I owed him one, and at least he tried.

"You're not in any trouble, Alex." Elias leaned back in his chair, staring at me. It reminded me of being a child, my parents sitting me down after they had found out I lied to them. "We just all need to be on the same page here, and we need to know that this won't happen again. Or you _will_ be taken off. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

 **...**

"I don't blame you, you know." Keegan's voice startled me, and I jumped from my spot on the bed. "When I see that bastard, the only thing I can think about is what he did to Torch, Grim and Fox. Natalie- sorry. Now Ajax? I want nothing more than to take the son of a bitch down."

"Fox?"

"Her callsign. Study a fox and pair it with your mother's behavior. She simply nodded when told about it." Keegan told me, leaning on the door frame. His eyes glanced around my room briefly. "Anyway, I thought I'd let you know you're not alone in this. We all feel the same Alex."

"Well, thanks." I said, letting my head drop down onto the bed once more. Keegan nodded before he was gone. I appreciated the thought, but they were only co-workers, and friends. Not blood related. My mind begin to wander, and I wondered how things would be if she were still here. Would she have been at Santa Monica with us, or with the Ghosts? Did she even approve of me being a Ghost? It seemed I was following in her footsteps more often as the days rolled by. The only difference this time was that Rorke wasn't going to kill another Ghost.

 **...**

 **A/N: This chapter is short, my apologies. As stated before, school is over with and things are mostly back to normal so I'm going to try and update my fics every Wednesday's. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.**


	11. Trepidation

**A/N: Another free chapter. We'll get back into the missions next chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

 **...**

"Ramos' laptop was badly damaged, but NORAD made a big find." Elias briefs us, tapping the map on the screen.

"And Rorke?" Hesh asks, straight to the point. Rorke was a burden on all of us. The sooner we got to him, the better.

"He moves every twelve hours, but for the next twelve, we'll know exactly where he'll be. A floating industrial complex out in The Gulf, occupied by The Federation. They call it, _The Freeport._ NORAD made the find, and they want him alive. You're getting some salvaged birds to hunt with, and I'll be in a Spectre coordinating the multiple units." Elias continues on, the map zooming into the location. I lean forward, trying to get a better look.

"Gonna be one hell of a hunt."

"Big game, but you know what to do. We leave in five hours." Elias dismisses us, the others wanting to get some rest before getting their gear ready. I headed straight to the armory, I wanted to get it done now. Check it later. Nerves were already starting to twist my stomach. Rorke was already almost in our grasp. He knew we were coming for him. His video call back in Caracas proved that.

"Corporal Smith?"

I looked up from the sign in log, to see a face I thought we had lost on the beach. I briefly wondered if I was seeing a ghost, or if the sub had finally driven me mad and here I was imagining pieces of my past life, no matter how long ago it was. I was going to start seeing my dead mother next as well.

"Rodriguez?"

"It's me!" She grinned, cheerful as ever. Ghosts weren't happy, were they?

"I thought you-"

"Almost." Her grin faded, though it couldn't mask the sadness underneath. "I saw Faraday fall, then the others. I'm ashamed of it, but I ran. Elias found me."

"I didn't see you there when they rescued us."

"Elias found me a spot to hide. I wasn't ready to face you guys yet."

"Well, it's good seeing you again."

"Yeah, you too." I gave her a final smile, taking my Honey Badger and making sure everything was still good to go. Rodriguez was a soldier, she had always defended Santa Monica with whoever else wasn't on field duty. It was strange, seeing her in the armory doing almost nothing. It had to have been by her request though. Rodriguez looked depressed when she was being her usual self and even that may have been a mask.

Once I finished up, I turned my weapon back in and went to my locker to make sure everything else was good. I bid my friend goodbye, making a mental note to come back down more often and check on her. We had all lost so much the day ODIN was turned against us, and even more when the Federation attacked Santa Monica.

Back in the halls, Logan was walking Riley around. Riley turned when I approached, his tail thumping against Logan's leg. Logan raised a hand in greeting, waiting for me to catch up. I scratched Riley behind the ear, falling into step with the two of them.

"You ready for this?"

"We have to be," Logan responded, his gaze dropping as he petted Riley again. "They weren't going to let me take him at first."

"Must have been one hell of a fight."

"Sure was." He fell silent again, coming to a stop outside the shared room with his brother. I could tell who's bed was who's. Logan made his, tucking the corners in neatly. Hesh always left his messy. Riley jumped on the bed, curling into the blankets that were already twisted around. Logan shook his head. "I hate the top bunk, he knows that."

"He's your older brother. Isn't it his job to do the things that annoy you?" I sat in the chair by the desk, noticing a thick black journal. The edges were worn, and the binder had creases in it. It was definitely used. "This yours?" I picked it up, turning to face Logan.

"You think Hesh knows how to read?"

I chuckled, setting the book back down on the desk as Logan got his uniform ready. Riley followed him around the room with his eyes, the Shepard probably the only one of us not anxious as hell. Logan finished, sitting down on the bottom bunk and rubbing Riley. The more I thought about Mexico, the worse the nerves got. Logan seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, but it was nice to know I wasn't alone in this.

"Things will go well. They have too," he finally broke the silence.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Hesh won't things go any other way." Logan gave me a strained smile, looking down at the ring on my hand. "I've never seen him with someone the way he is with you. That ring used to be our mom's."

"He didn't mention anything about it to me?" I frowned, looking at the ring. I had wondered where he had gotten it from.

"He knew you wouldn't take it otherwise. Dad gave it to him."

Logan was right, at least. I would have never accepted the ring if I knew. I looked at again, it was a fairly simple ring. I should have recognized it from the family pictures I had seen, but when was I paying attention to her hands? I decided not to say anything to Hesh about the ring. Not that it mattered. Elias had kept it when their mother passed while they were kids. Dad buried my mom with her's. I pushed the thoughts from my head. I needed to be ready to face Rorke.

 **...**

 **A/N: Here's the new chapter! _Birds of Prey_ will be up next. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**


	12. Birds of Prey

**A/N: Here's the new chapter! Hope you enjoy.**

 **...**

 _[ Birds of Prey  
June 16th - 19:42:20  
Campeche Oil Fields, Gulf of Mexico ] _

The helicopter seemed to shake, which felt like a dumb thing for me to say as we hopped out. Outlaw 2-1 takes off when everyone steps out, circling above us. I check my Honey Badger over one final time, before following Merrick into a garage.

 _"Ghost team is on the deck. Repeat, Ghost team is on the ground and moving,"_ Pirate 5-0 tells the circling helicopters. Merrick raises a fist, the rest of us taking cover as he surveys the courtyard outside the doors.

 _"Outlaw 2-1 going into a holding pattern, copy that Pirate."_

 _"Roger that, continue scanning for hostiles."_

"Courtyard is full of them, go loud on my signal." Merrick instructs. He takes the first shot, getting their attention. I move up under a broken window, peeking around the corner. One of the Federation leans around a smoking truck, trying to spot us when I take him down. A few of them scramble into the building on the other side of the courtyard, and I dart to new cover.

"Throwing a frag!" I yell to my team, throwing a grenade over the railing to the next building. I hear the enemies yell out, before it goes off. A few pieces of debris fly over my head as I shield my face.

"They have RPG's! Look out!" Hesh yells. I move away from the truck, going for the small set of stairs on the side of the opposing building. Logan moves up behind me. The Federation are still shooting over the railing, and I help Logan clear them off the landing before we move up again. We move through the concrete building, approaching the other half of the courtyard from behind. Hesh throws a grenade out, waiting for it to explode before we move to take out the Federation over here.

I duck behind a large crate, hoping they don't decide to shoot through it. Construction blocks the middle of the path, and I move under it into another building. I knife the solider taking cover there, moving his body and taking his place. Once the rest of the courtyard is clear, we move through the next building, approaching another courtyard from the opposite end.

"Targets moving in! Right side, right side!"

I duck behind a shipping crate, trying to flank them when I see an enemy with an RPG at the top of the stairs peek his head out. I hide again, leaning around the other corner and taking out an enemy behind a truck.

"RPG's are down!" Keegan yells out. I let out a breathe of relief, and then we're pushing up the stairs. More Federation run out and we duck into the side rooms for cover. The hallway creates a choke point, and we waste no time in taking them down before we all rush into the elevator at the end of the hall.

 _"You've got enemy ordinance outside your building. We're engaging. Danger close. I repeat; danger close."_ Outlaw 1-1 informs. Merrick orders us to stay in the elevator until we're clear to move, and the hunk of metal begins moving. _"Ordinance is destroyed, you're good to go."_

"Copy that, Outlaw."

 _"You've got enemy fighters coming out of the building in front of you. Engaging."_ The elevator takes us to the top of the building, letting us out where we climb another set of stairs. More Federation is waiting at the top of the stairs, guarding a building. I slide behind a generator for cover, Hesh sliding into the one next to it. He signals to me, silently asking me to provide cover fire. I lean around the edge, doing as asked and moments later, Hesh presses up against my side.

"You know you don't have to face him if you don't want to."

"I have to do this, Hesh."

"If you didn't, I wouldn't blame you."

We both knew facing Rorke was inevitable. If I didn't go in there to face him now, I still would in the helicopter. I forced a smile before letting the conversation die. I moved up to the door, the sign blaring _NO ENTRY_ in bold letters. I leaned around the edge, shooting through the windows to the building. Once the roof was clear, we followed Merrick into the building.

"He's just past those doors!" Merrick announces. Keegan and Merrick stack up on the doors before kicking them open. Hesh was the first in the room, aiming his rifle at Rorke.

"On the ground, now!" Hesh orders. Rorke moves off the desk he was leaning against.

"You boys sure do know how to make an entrance. Sorry, Alex. I almost forgot you were here."

"Shut up!" Hesh yells. Merrick punches Rorke, before grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and throwing him out of the nearby window. The glass shatters, leaving Rorke sprawled on the ground on the other side. Merrick jumps out of the window, placing a booted foot on Rorke's chest.

"Pirate, this is Ghost Six-Three." Hesh raises a hand, speaking into his ear piece. "Urchin is secure, moving to extraction point now."

"Scarecrow, this is Six-One. We have him," Merrick informs Elias. I turn away from the window, leaning the desk as Keegan goes to join Merrick outside.

 _"Roger that. Outlaw will bring you to the RV. We need to be mobile in thirty mikes."_

 **...**

 **A/N: This chapter is short by about 30 words, but I'm not stressing about it. _The Hunted_ will be up next as it's immediately after, before we get back into the free chapters. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy. **


	13. The Hunted

**A/N: Like I said on Unloved (or if you don't read that fic, here it is) I am sorry for not updating for so long. There's been a lot going on, some good, and some not so good. But it's finally slowing down so, here we are. Part of the reason this one took so long is because no matter how I wrote it, it was always so boring to me? Hopefully, it's not this time. Hope you enjoy.**

 **...**

 _[ The Hunted_  
 _June 17th - 05:12:45_  
 _Yucatan, occupied Mexico ]_

"He was their ghost now." Elias finished up, turning away from the three of us and heading over to the chair Rorke sat in. Something about using poison. I hadn't been paying attention to the answer of a question I asked. I was curious at first, but then my mind started to wander. Why my mom first? Why anyone else? Not that Elias deserved to die, but he had been the one to let go of Rorke. Did Rorke truly blame everyone on the team for the choice of one man, a choice that man surely regretted still after all these years?

I made my way over to the others, Elias standing in front of Rorke with Logan and Hesh by the sides of his chair. Merrick and Keegan were off to the side. I thought that they should be the ones next to him. They knew him better, worked with him after all. It was their friends and teammates that Rorke had killed.

"Oh, Alex." Rorke taunted as I approached. "How would Natalie feel about you following in her footsteps? Heading towards the same fate she did?" He chuckled to himself. I averted my eyes. It _was_ a question I asked myself after all. Hesh moved closer to me, and I was grateful for the silent support.

"That's enough." Elias folded his arms, staring at Rorke. "What did they do to you?"

"The same thing you did Elias, they set me free."

"You taught me a long time ago that Ghosts don't break."

"Everyone breaks!" Rorke yelled. I stumbled back, surprised by the sudden outburst. "Why don't you ask your buddy Ajax? Well, if he were still with us."

Rorke chuckled again as Elias shoved past Hesh, heading towards the back of the plane. "Grab his chair. Alex, get to the door." I shared a confused glance with Logan who shrugged, grabbing one arm of the chair as Hesh begin to push the other. I made my way over to Elias, who gestured for me to open the back of the plane. The ramp begin to lower and Rorke tried to twist in his chair to face Elias.

"So this is how it ends? You gonna throw me out of a plane?"

"I want you to tell me about that dig site in San Diego."

"Are you gonna drop me, again Elias?"

"It's over Rorke!" Elias pushed past us, getting into Rorke's face. Elias grabbed him by his jacket, pulling Rorke out of the chair and pinning him to the ground.

"You haven't beaten me, Elias. You just made my job a hell of a lot easier."

I couldn't question what was happening before a plane had risen up into view of the opened doors. Elias yelled something, I but had frozen. Like a deer in headlights. Rorke truly was one step ahead of us. The plane shook, as Federation soldiers made their way onto the plane. I fumbled to grab something when I realized the plane had been compromised. I saw Rorke approaching Logan, just as my hands slipped and I was falling through the air.

 **...**

I struggled to get my 'chute opened in time, snagging on some trees as I crashed towards the ground. The trees had threw me off, sending me crashing into the ground. I shrugged the parachute off, pulling myself into a sitting position against the tree.

 _"Everyone report in."_

 _"It's Hesh, I'm with Merrick"_

 _"Good. Keegan's with me. What about Alex and Logan?"_

"It's Alex. No sign of-" I trailed off, fighting to get my sidearm out of it's holster at the sound of someone approaching. Logan came into view, and I dropped my head against the back of the tree. "You look like shit," I chuckled.

"My comms are out. Probably broke them on my way down."

"How?"

"I got stuck in a tree," Logan grinned sheepishly.

"Never mind, Logan is with me." I pressed my hand to my ear, waiting for a response from someone else. There was none. Logan helped me to my feet, and we started moving forward.

 _"We've got company."_

 _"Coming to you."_ Elias responded. _"Alex, find the crash site. We're just up the hill."_

I repeated what Elias said to Logan, pulling my sidearm out and letting him lead the way. The heart beat tracker would let us know which paths to avoid, and I didn't feel like hovering over Logan's shoulder to watch the tiny screen myself. Elias and Hesh continued to talk over the comms, but I paid them no mind. Logan nudged me off the path and we went prone into the bush, the heartbeat sensor beginning to beep at a rapid pace. I held my breath until the beeping faded, and Logan whispered that there were still a few patrols up ahead. We continued to crawl. A piece of debris lay in the middle of the path, burning with a thick cloud of smoke hovering over it. The bulk of the wreckage couldn't be too far away now.

The path turned a few times, but the plane wreckage was finally right there. We stayed hidden in the brush, Logan frowning as he stared at the heartbeat tracker. "There's lots of patrols over here." One wondered off the path, heading our way, and I was thankful I let Keegan talk me into suppressing my sidearm. I hit him in the chest twice, Logan dragging his body deeper into the bushes before we kept on.

Behind the wreckage, the path turned up a small hill. Logan once again studied the tracker, mentioning that there were no patrols nearby and we moved into a crouch. _"We can see you on the tracker, you're almost to us."_

As promised, Elias and Keegan were standing on the base of the hill waiting for us. "You okay?" Elias asked when we approached.

"We're fine dad." Logan frowned. "Where's Hesh and Merrick?"

Elias nodded behind us, and I peeked through the bushes to see that a patrol had Merrick and Hesh on their knees. Their hands were folded behind their heads. "Hesh, when this goes loud, stay down." Elias took the first shot, and we all followed his lead. The patrol was soon down, and we headed into the stream to meet them.

"Mako is picking us up two clicks from here, let's not make ourselves an easy target." Elias turned away from us, leading us through the shallow waters. A waterfall fell gently on the other side, and I wished I could have appreciated the view. This place sucked, but at least it was pretty.

"Sounds like a chopper ahead of us." Merrick spoke up. I tried to focus past the sound of the water, and he was right. It echoed off the walls.

"I hear it. These canyons aren't doing it any favors."

"Let's use it to our advantage, then." Hesh said just as Elias took cover behind a large rock.

"Supply drop. Looks like they're on their way out, so let's wait for them to clear." Elias ordered. I pressed myself against the curve of the canyon, Keegan at my back. "They're moving out, head up the stream and stay low." I must have lingered for a minute, for Keegan had nudged my shoulder and nodded after the rest of the team who had already left their cover.

"Mako, you read? We're halfway to you."

 _"We're still moving upriver, Stalker. But we'll be there."_

"More are coming back this way," Merrick announced. I slugged through the water after them, taking cover inside the waterfall. Pebbles stuck to the crevices in my boots, and I pressed my back to the far wall. The patrol ran by us, and Elias ordered us to move forward. My heart started to pound. We were close to Mako at this point, hopefully nothing else would go wrong. We headed off the stream, coming back onto dry land. My pants stuck to my skin, heavy from the water. My foots sloshed with every step.

"More patrols ahead."

"Right flank looks clear."

"Then we take right. Only engage if you're spotted, move on my mark." Elias waited a few moments, before moving up a bit and motioning for us to follow him. The path weaved on the outside edge, and we followed it past the trees. As soon as we set foot in the field, someone called out a circling 'heli. Two of them landed, patrols stepping out.

"Move quiet, and keep low. Meet up on the other side of the ridge."

My heart thudded loudly against my chest, and I feared the patrols would hear it and spot us as we low crawled through the grass. Once we made it past the patrols, Elias broke out into a sprint and I hurried after him. "We're almost at the river, Hesh call it in."

"Mako Actual, we're at the river and-" Hesh was cut off when a loud buzzing sound came from in front of us. Elias slowed, prompting the rest of us to do the same. I shielded my eyes from the sun, following the missile as it cut across the sky. "Holy shit! Is that nuclear?" Hesh asked, doing the same as he came to a stop at my side.

 _"Actual, we got a missile in the air. You all coming or what?"_

"Chopper incoming! Get down!" Elias ordered. Hesh hit the ground hard, and I rushed to take cover as well. The helicopter hovered above us for a moment, before finally flying off in the other direction. I let out the breath I was holding, following Elias and cutting left to the path. I slid down the hill, sprinting after the rest of the team.

 _"Command, this is Mako Two-Three. We have multiple rocket launches five clicks from our POS. Repeat, we have multiple rockets airborne. How copy, over?"_ A tree exploded into flames next to me. The helicopter had finally found us.

"One minute, Mako! We're almost there!" Hesh snapped. Trees continued to hit the ground around us, narrowly missing us. We made it back to the stream, the water suddenly cutting off in front of us. "Waterfall! Looks like we're jumping!" I launched myself off the edge, hitting the water hard. I kicked up to the surface, as Mako swung their boats around to face the heli's.

"We're coming in hot, Actual!" The boats came to a harsh stop, all simultaneously firing at the helicopters until they began their retreat. I swam to the edge, someone helping to me pull me in as they continued to fire. I couldn't wait to get out of here. Riley stood at the edge of one of the boats, barking and waving his tail. I turned to help pull Logan in, the rest of the team getting into the other boats. I slumped into my seat as Mako lead us out of the forsaken jungle.

 **...**

 **A/N: There was a little more to the ending, but I typed it out twice and it didn't save so I said forget it. This chapter is un-edited so feel free to point out any errors if you wish. I used to hate this mission, but playing it on full stealth can be fun. Writing it.. ah, not so much. Lol. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy. The next mission is _Clockwork,_ so we'll prob have a couple of 'free' chapters (as I like to call them) before that happens. See y'all next Wednesday! **


	14. What We Deserve

**A/N: I had so many ideas for this chapter all week, but once I started writing it they all just kinda faded away. Sounds about right. I've gone back and edited a few of the chapters. There's not much detail, but I tried to make them all past tense instead of the weird present/past thing I do. A couple of them still need to be edited, but that's a thing if you're interested in that.**

 **...**

I could say with full certainty that I hated the Federation. I hated what they did to my home and the impossible situation they've put me and the people I cared for in. I even blamed them for the reason why my mom was in Caracas twelve years ago. I leaned back in my desk chair, the journal Logan gave me still sitting empty. He had suggested I try writing, for he said it helped him. But I found that once I was alone with my thoughts, no words came to mind. It was just a blank slate.

What I missed was my camera, a gift from my mother. I used to take pictures of everything, but now there was nothing. Never mind that my camera had been left and destroyed with my home back in San Diego. I shut the journal and pushed it to the far side of my desk, making a mental note to give it back to Logan later.

A knock at my door startled me, bringing me out of my thoughts. Rodriguez stood in the doorway. "Hey," she frowned. I did too. She didn't look like herself. Rodriguez was always chirpy, always smiling. Now she looked stressed. She invited herself into my room and nodded towards the bed. "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead." I turned in my chair so I was facing her. She took a seat, still chewing on her lip.

"When the balcony fell, back at Fort Santa Monica, it was Faraday who finally woke me up." Rodriguez frowned, staring at her hands. I looked away as well. I didn't even think of checking on anyone else. "We were fighting through the trenches, trying to push the Feds back when they got him. I saw him go down. His blood was on me. I was covered in it. So I ran. I ran to Captain Walker's office." It was weird, to hear Elias called by his official rank. I was so used to hearing Elias or _dad_ from Hesh and Logan.

"The Ghosts were there too, and he told me to go with them. I hid behind a crate on the helicopter because I was too scared to face you. If you didn't come to the armory the other day, I would have liked to keep it that way. I feel like it's my fault Faraday is gone. I ran _from_ the fight."

"You were scared."

"I liked him, too. I hope they finally took the beach back from those damned bastards!" Rodriguez spit angrily.

 _Oh._ I pinched my thumb. I tried to imagine the situation if that were Hesh and I. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Rodriguez's grim look returned to her face. I didn't say anything. She sat there silently fighting with herself. Ten years ago I had wanted to run too, but I never thought of that as an actual option. Now, all I knew was the fight. I wondered what Rodriguez's life had been like before ODIN attacked. She was only twenty-two now.

Rodriguez finally stood, turning to face me as she headed to the door. "Thanks for listening. Mind if I stop by some more?"

"I'm always around Rodriguez." I smiled. Rodriguez shot me finger guns as she left and I chuckled. I had barely spoken to Faraday, but him and Rodriguez worked together fairly often. She must have been much closer with the man than what I previously thought.

 **...**

"NORAD was able to say conclusively: the missile launched in the Yucatán did not hit the USA." Elias told us, walking around the front of the room. I sighed, partially in relief. We couldn't keep taking hits like this.

"Well, where did it go?" Hesh asked. He sat straight up, one hand resting on his knee as he frowned at the power point.

"That's exactly what I'm sending you all to find out. The President has authorized _Operation Clockwork_ , an assault on a Fed facility high in the Andes that could give us the answer. You will infiltrate the facility and gather any information you can on their missile program"

"What about your old friend, Rorke? He won't stop coming for us." Hesh replied. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He wasn't wrong. Things didn't go the way either of us had planned, but our capturing Rorke ended up working in his favor. He had only failed to capture us in the jungle. I thought of Hesh and Merrick being held captive by the Federation again, and what might have happened if we weren't able to get to Keegan and Elias in time to help.

"Rorke will get his, but as of now _Clockwork_ is the priority." Elias dismissed us. Our information technology specialist, Kick, removed his feet from the top of the table as he stood. He was going to be our eyes and ears alongside Elias on this mission. Everyone filed out of the room except for Merrick, who lingered behind. His face was blank. I slowly approached him.

"Merrick?"

"Hm," was the only reply I received. Merrick straightened himself, turning to face me. "Sorry, just going over the reports. You needed something?"

"You looked distracted." I finally said. I had barely spoken with Merrick before. I don't know what made me want to bother the man now. A distraught look crossed over Merrick's face, the man looking back at the files on the table tops before looking away again. "Is something bothering you?"

"There are ancient tribes which are deep in the Amazon who perfected the art of torture over hundreds of years. The Federation embraced this heritage by enhancing it with more sophisticated methods. They kept Rorke in a hole for months by feeding him the food that are mixed with the poisons of the exotic plants. As they broke his body down, they went to work on his mind. When his mind broke, they went to work on his soul. They rebuilt what was left by twisting him to their purposes. The process was excruciating and exacting. Rorke was their Ghost now and was the perfect weapon to use against us."

"Elias mentioned something similar on the plane." I recalled. I had asked what they had against him to so easily turn Rorke over to the Ghosts and by the time Elias was finished explaining, I was long done paying attention.

"Elias thinks it was the torture that turned Rorke against us, but that hate had to be there before."

It made sense what Merrick was saying. When Elias dropped Rorke in Caracas, the initial feeling of betrayal must have grown into a deep hatred by the time the Federation got to him. I remembered Elias telling us about that mission, how only him, Merrick, Ajax, and my mom had went alongside Rorke. The Ghosts were his team, maybe even his family, and in his eyes they were all at fault. I was finally beginning to understand why Rorke chose to hunt all the Ghosts, Federation wishes aside.

"My mom-" I started. I hesitated. Everything I had asked so far only brought me answers I didn't want to hear. I doubted whatever Merrick had to say would be any different. "Was she the first?"

"Yes."

I bit my lip and nodded, looking down. A part of me already knew from what Elias told me about when they went to Caracas and when we got word that she had died, but hearing Merrick confirm it didn't do me any favors."She was a good soldier, Alex. It would have taken him a lot to bring her down."

I remembered what Elias said, about how my mom was on a standard Army operation instead of being with the Ghosts. _Did she leave them, or only return to her old unit for some time?_ Rorke left a trap for her, and she fell for the bait. "Were you close with her?"

"Natalie was close with all of us. I believe that's why Rorke went for her first. She would have done anything to confirm what happened to him, bring closure to Elias."

"I'm going to go get my gear ready, try not to study those files too hard." I stepped backwards, getting ready to leave the room. For the first time since I met him, Merrick grinned.

 **...**

 **A/N: Another bit of a shorter chapter (500 words short) but I'm pretty content about the way this one ended up. We got to see some more of Alex with Rodriguez, and finally some time with her and Merrick. I've decided - when this fic is complete, I will start on the prequel. I already have drafts for that but I'm still working on a plot line for the sequel so :p One more 'free' chapter before we start** _Operation: Clockwork._ **Feel free to leave a review if you would like, it's very much appreciated and thanks for reading!**


	15. Troubled Waters

**A/N: Next chapter will be Clockwork, and I'm excited. I usually have a lot of fun playing that mission. However, this isn't next chapter. ;) Therefore, enjoy this final chapter of the Ghosts doing whatever it is when they're not out fighting. Whoops.**

 **...**

Keegan landed a right hook right across Hesh's jaw. He staggered back, regaining his balance before trying to get back into the fight. _Which of us will win in a fight_ was a dare made on last nights sleep deprivation, a conversation I thought that would have been dropped once we finally got some sleep in. That proved to be wrong as they stood sparring right now.

"Hesh was always shit at fighting." Logan shook his head as he sat next to me. His grin didn't meet his eyes, however and I turned my attention away from the sparing match. At least Hesh didn't bet against Merrick. "You remember how many fights he lost in school?"

I had only seen Hesh fight twice, and he had lost both times. I worried for him both times, but looking back it might have been funny. Hesh's heart was almost too big for him and used to always land him in trouble. I only hated that it was the Federation War that finally taught him _some_ type of discipline. I turned away from the sparring match again.

Logan had always been clean shaven, but now a light stubble had replaced that. We all looked like shit, but the bags under Logan's eyes were deep. Prepping for Operation Clockwork had caused all of us to lose sleep, but not enough to change us into zombies. Logan was troubled, and I wondered just how much.

"What's bothering you?"

"Huh?" Logan turned from the fight to face me, his face falling once my question registered in his head. "Oh. It's Rorke. He's taunting me, playing with me. Right before I fell out of the plane, he told me to find him if I lived. To _join_ him."

"He said that?"

"Yes!" The distraught look returned to his face and Logan ran his hands through his disheveled hair.

"He's playing with all of us, Logan. He's constantly comparing me to my mom, and reminding me that I'm not her. That I'll never be her. He's trying to get inside our heads and it's working."

"Have you talked to Hesh?"

"Have you?"

"No!" Logan turned to me with a pleading look, almost like the puppy eyes he used to give us back in high school. "And you can't say anything about what I just told you Alex. It's only going to make him worry." Across the room, Keegan had managed to split Hesh's lip and I wondered how the spar could still be going on. Merrick was going to have a damn fit when he saw the condition they had put each other in. Hesh was stubborn and he wasn't going to be the one to back down. He never did.

"He's always going to worry. It's what he does."

"For once, I wish he wouldn't."

 **...**

Logan's spare journal still sat on the corner of my desk. It was going to start collecting dust if I didn't give it back to him soon, which I kept forgetting to do. Rodriguez had come back to my room yesterday and mistook it for a diary. She grabbed it and took off before I could stop her, and was disappointed to learn it wasn't a diary at all, just blank pages. I had suggested she leave her cot down in the armory and take the spare bunk I had only for her to smile and say she would consider it. I missed the Rodriguez from Santa Monica. The Federation was killing all of us.

"You got a minute?"

I had been laying on my bed, letting my mind wander as aimlessly kicked the bunk above me. No wonder Rodriguez declined my offer to take the bed. I let my feet drop back down to the mattress, rolling onto my side to face the door. Hesh stood there, hands shoved into his pockets. His stubble had gotten worse too, though that had always been there. At least since we all joined up in the Army.

"Alex?"

"Yeah, sorry."

Hesh pulled his hands from his pockets as he took a seat at the edge of the bed. I pulled myself up and crossed my legs so I was sitting criss crossed. His sleeve lifted on his arm, and I reached out to trace the two tattoos there. They were usually covered by his uniform, and I often forgot they were there. He got them not to long after we got together, and Elias' reaction was... unexpected, at the very least.

Hesh looked at my finger tracing the outline of the top star. I didn't know what it meant, I never asked. I let my hand drop back into my lap, Hesh still staring at his arm. God, was the Federation slowly killing him too? I was already losing Logan and Rodriguez, I couldn't lose him as well.

"Figured I'd check up on you after what happened in Yucatan."

I should have been the one checking up on _him._ I only face-planted into the ground after smacking into a tree. Hesh had been held at gunpoint, either preparing to be taken in or killed. I tried to avoid thinking of either option.

"I'm fine. I'm sure Logan had a great view from his tree."

A faint smile etched it's way onto his face, before it disappeared just as quickly. I was tired of seeing exhausted grins and faints laughs from my teammates, my family. Though I wasn't surprised Hesh finally came seeking me out. I never approached him after Yucatan, after all.

"You haven't talked to me lately, and well. I needed to come see you."

"I haven't talked to anyone, really."

"I know that's not true."

 _Damn._ He was right though. I had talked to Logan and Keegan, even Rodriguez well enough since Mako got us back. Hell, I'd even talked to _Merrick_ without issue. I couldn't look at Hesh without seeing the Federation pointing that damned gun at his head, just like they did ten years ago. I feared one day, no one was going to be around to save him. Not that Hesh was an inept solider, he'd even been considered for the Rangers some time ago. Hesh declined, saying his duty was at the wall with his brother. Two-One always forgot that I was with the Walker boys, and I forgot that I wasn't always with them.

The silence filled the air, hanging over us like a shroud. If I tried to deny ignoring Hesh, it was going to turn into an argument I wasn't ready to have. I just couldn't face him. More often than not, Rorke's taunts filled my head. I wasn't my mom, and I was never going to be her. Did he see me as a failure for that reason, or was it something for him to use against me?

 _Shit. Why do I care what he thinks?_

Rorke was also taunting Logan, but he was upfront and bold about reminding me of who I wasn't. When it came to Logan, Rorke almost made sure no one on the team knew about it. If Logan hadn't confided in me, I never would have known. _Maybe we should tell Hesh._

Hesh pulled me to him, and I let myself relax in his arms. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

 **...**

 **A/N: _Finally_ got some more time in with Hesh and Alex, but don't worry. I've done that on purpose. Aside from mission chapters, the last chapter they actually had a conversation in was _The Fox and The Hound (Chapter Eight)._ Really, I'm excited to get to _Sin City._ I have a good bit of stuff planned for that time-frame in the story. But, one day at a time ;)**

 **And no, Hesh didn't get the tattoos for him and Alex lol. If you look at his wikia page, it says he _does_ have them but i can't find anything supporting this. Thought I'd include it anyway ha.**

 **God, I hate that I'm so horrible at giving each character their own personalities and whatnot. I'll have to try and expand on that next time I edit the chapters. I really hope the second half of this chapter wasn't too _sappy_ for Alex and Hesh. Rorke and the Federation along with all the stress is finally breaking everyone down but neither of them want to admit it. Nonetheless, sorry for this essay.**

 **To the people who recently followed and favorite-ed this fic, thank you. I honestly kinda believed people had stopped reading/lost interest in this fic. Glad to know it's still getting some type of love.**

 **Also, I mentioned this in _Unloved Take Two,_ but if you don't follow that fic, I'll put it here as well: at the end of this month, I'm moving out of state. I'll probably be able to update twice more before that happens, but I wanted to give a well enough heads up. NO! I'm not going to _stop_ this fic completely, but I won't be able to write or anything during that time and I really hope you guys understand. Thanks!**


	16. Clockwork

**A/N: Finally! Here is Clockwork. I had some fun getting to type this so do enjoy!**

 **...**

"Guys, this isn't going to work." I sighed, turning to face the others. Keegan and Logan are trying to suppress grins while Merrick just looks annoyed. Hesh rests his chin on his palm, trying to find a quick solution. The uniform I had gotten off of the Federation hung off of me, having to cut an extra hole in the belt to stop the pants from falling to the ground. I dug in Hesh's bag for a moment, pulling my balaclava out. It would be best to hide as much of our faces as possible and the helmets we had wouldn't do that.

"What's the time?" Merrick asked.

"Twenty-two thirty-five." Logan answered, looking up from his watch. Merrick tossed a helmet my way and I caught it, pulling it on as he did the same.

"Move out." Merrick instructed. Hesh took the butt of his sniper and broke the jet ski before following after Merrick. I trudged along after, the stolen boots threatening to slip off my feet at any moment. "Kick, we've acquired enemy uniforms and are headed to the security checkpoint."

 _"_ _You got ten minutes to acquire transport and be inside Blackbird before we cut the power."_

"Copy all." Merrick replied as a convoy drove past. We continued moving up and across the street as a light snow begin to fall. Hesh readjusted the bag on his back. "We hit the security checkpoint and get in position for the returning patrol. Checkpoints just up ahead."

I pulled myself over a small ledge as Merrick held up a fist. "There it is, hold your fire."

"I count eight at the checkpoint."

"Guard at the tower." I called out.

"That makes nine," Merrick corrected. "Logan, radio tower on the right side. Take him out first." Merrick gestured towards the tower and Logan brought his sniper up, focusing for a minute before taking the shot. Merrick noted the command tower next, giving orders and those three dropped dead as well. I did the math in my head, four dead guards left five for us to clear.

"Splash three. Take out the last of them." Merrick ordered. One for each of us. The team called out their targets, the last one helping his partner move a light across the second floor of the command tower. Merrick gave the order and they went down with a single shot. "Nice job, let's move."

"Logan, left side covering Keegan. And clear that body, I can see it from here." Logan pulled the body of the roadblock, tucking it in behind the concrete slab as best as he could. I stowed my Lynx away, checking over my SA-805 one more time. "Alex take cover. There's a patrol incoming and they'll know something's up soon as they see you. Hesh in the back, covering me. Kick, Red Bird is secure. Where's the patrol?"

"You do look like a kid playing pretend." Logan snickered, trying to play it off with a cough as Merrick's glare. Keegan's scoff proved he agreed. I flipped them both the bird, crouching behind the roadblock as well.

 _"_ _They've passed the outer perimeter, headed your way. Right on schedule. Patrol inbound."_

"Showtime." Keegan muttered as he moved to his position.

"These uniforms better work." Hesh shook his head, giving me a pitying smile as he followed Merrick. Logan stood next to me, finger off his trigger but ready to pull if things went wrong. I let my head rest against the roadblock.

"Let the BTR pass." Merrick ordered. One of the trucks pulled into the tollgate as the BTR and the other truck moved on. Merrick headed over to the truck and Hesh signaled for Logan to get the driver. I heard the shot pop off and Logan waved that I clear to come out of hiding.

"Alex, this guy is small. His gear might fit you better."

Hesh was right. The Fed soldier he had pulled out of the backseat looked tiny, about my size and small for a soldier. I pulled him inside the command center and begin switching clothing. I still had to cut another hole into the belt, but at least the uniform wasn't falling of me any more. Merrick yelled my name and I hurried to the truck, deciding to tie the boots in there.

Keegan nodded. "That's a lot better."

"Once inside, keep your spacing and minimize shots after the blackout. Hesh be ready to hook into their system when we get to security." Merrick said as he got into the passenger seat. I squeezed into the back, seated between Hesh and Logan. The two bags sat at their feet and I hoped we wouldn't be searched. Keegan got into the drivers seat.

"We're letting Keegan drive? Remember what happened last time?"

"Shut up, Alex."

"Stow it, both of you!" Merrick snapped in a hushed voice. "Scarecrow, we're at the clubhouse. We've secured a vehicle and are moving to Blackbird."

 _"_ _Copy, Actual. Blackbird is quiet. You are go for insertion and data retrieval."_

"Copy all." Merrick replied. A truck drove by, leaving the facility and Keegan raised a hand in greeting. Or farewell. Hesh pulled his googles down over his eyes, as did Logan and Keegan. I left mine stretched across the helmet. I never liked the way they felt. The truck bounced on the road, pushing the three of us against each other. Logan pushed me back into my seat with a groan.

"This is why Keegan doesn't need to drive." He muttered. I silently agreed, not wanting Merrick to chew me out again. The snow continued to fall softly, light flakes melting on the sleeves on my uniform.

We entered the underpass to the facility, Keegan pulling the truck to a stop before climbing out. I followed after Logan. Two soldiers walked by, too engrossed in their own conversation to pay us any mind. Hesh grabbed one of the bags, tilting his head for us to follow. I checked my watch.

"Fifteen seconds."

The door begin closing behind us, followed by a siren to let others know it was being shut. Hesh and Keegan dropped their bags onto the conveyor belt at the security checkpoint just as my watch hit zero. The darkness swarmed us like a cloud and one of the Federation soldiers yelled out. I flicked my night vision on, seeing Hesh and Keegan grab the bags before we moved forward to the server room.

"Hesh, get that bug in place."

I light a chem light, holding it over his shoulder while he gets to work. The rest of the team took guard positions around the room. It was silent the entire time, the only noise coming from the actual Federation soldiers who panicked around us. _Blind a soldier for a single second..._

"I'm patched in." Hesh announced, taking a slight step back. "Once the power is on we'll have their eyes and ears. Running static test pattern now... And confirm signal."

 _"Check."_

I drop the chem light to the ground, jogging after the others as we continue to move up the hallway. Federation soldiers start firing at us and we quickly drop them before moving up to the blast door. Hesh and Keegan drop the bags as Hesh starts scanning the door with the tablet.

"Hydraulic seals need to go." Merrick and Keegan plant thermite on the hinges as I stand watch. "Kick, we're in the green zone. Prepping victor now."

 _"Check. Thirty seconds until power is restored."_

"Logan, drill here." Hesh instructs, drawing an _x_ before stepping back. Logan begins to drill and Hesh warned him about the back trip plate. Keegan placed a charge on the hole as Hesh continued scanning for the others, marking them as Logan drilled.

"Twenty seconds!" I announce, looking up from my watch.

"Shields are down." Hesh noted, tucking the tablet away. Logan set the drill to the side as Merrick ignited the thermite. We all took cover around the nearby support beams as Keegan blew the door completely open. The lights come back on and I turn the night vision off, lifting it off of my face and above the googles still strapped to my helmet.

"ETA to the nest: four minutes!"

Gunfire rains over us and I take cover in a nearby room as Federation soldiers flood the room. I peek over the edge of the window, taking a couple of them down before dropping back into cover to reload.

 _"_ _Eyes and ears are online. Patching you in. Boss, you got a mess of 'em headed your way."_

We push through a corridor, taking down the Federation as we move. One comes out of a doorway, tackling me to the floor. My weapon slides out of my grip as the man pins me down, using one arm to bring a knife to my face. I wiggle to the side, dodging the blow and holding him back with one arm as I claw for my SA-805. The soldiers eyes widen as a shot hits him in the shoulder, before catching another round in the face. I let my head hit the floor as I breathe out a sigh of relief.

"I got your back." Keegan nods, pulling the dead soldier off me and pulling me to my feet.

"That's how many times you've saved my ass now?"

"Lost count."

Keegan let out a brief laugh, before we continued moving up. My boots crunched over shattered glass as I kept my weapon up, checking every doorway as we walked by. The labs had finally been cleared, but we couldn't afford to take chances. A siren begin blaring loudly, letting the soldiers stationed here know they had intruders. Glass exploded from the window next to us and he hit the floor. I rolled onto my back, keeping my rifle trained over the windows. The shooting paused, and a lone Fed peeked over the edge when I tapped the trigger to take him down.

We scrambled back onto our feet, staying low and moving carefully throughout the labs. I kicked a desk chair at a soldier who was rushing me, distracting him long enough to safely take him down. Someone tapped my shoulder and I moved up after them. More soldiers came down, filling the hall and we turned into another corridor. "Through here!" Keegan yelled, using his shoulder to bust the door open. Logan covered the rear as we filed after Keegan, leading us outside onto catwalks.

"Exiting the tree. Taking the high road to the nest."

 _"I'm seeing minimal activity on the high road. You're off the radar for now."_ Kick replied.

The metal echoed beneath our feet as we moved, a soldier coming around the corner and colliding with Keegan. The latter brought his knife up, digging it into the man's chest before throwing him into the window next to us. I watched the soldier fall over the railings and to the mountains below us. Keegan waved that it was clear and we kept moving. Keegan raises a fist and we hold still at the end of the catwalks as Keegan goes in, using his thumb to talk to a couple of Federation. Logan kicks my knee, and I wince, reaching down to rub it.

Logan grabs my arm, throwing it around his shoulders as we head in after Keegan. I fake _most_ of the limp. Logan's kick had sent throbbing pains up my leg. The Federation ignores us, and I wonder what Keegan fed them to make them back off. I keep up the fake limp until we get to a ramp leading down to the nest and Logan lets me go. I slug his arm. "That's for kicking me."

"Ninety seconds to the nest. Time check." Merrick calls in.

 _"Check and clear. You're on schedule."_

Merrick shoots into the air, yelling at the scientists to leave. They scramble away, some tossing us wide eyed looks as they hurry out.

"Kick, we've entered the nest. Prepping for transfer. Everyone, drop the bags off on the command platform." Merrick orders. Hesh and Keegan drop their bags onto the table, pulling the zippers back. "Hesh, get started on this computer bank."

"I'll need two minutes thirty to complete the download."

"Roger that. We'll cover you." Merrick points, going back to the bags. "Get set up, they'll be following us down the main ramp." He set the turret up by the stairs covering the left side, doing the same with some of the shockwave claymores on the other. I put the tear gas canisters in my empty pouches, before moving to help Logan with the thermobaric mines.

"We've got about thirty seconds!" Merrick yells."Hesh, did you find the data on the rocket?"

"Oh yeah, it's all here. Specs, design, implementation."

"We got enemies moving down the ramp!" I yelled, sliding over to the windows covering the command platform. The glass shatters, a piece catching my cheek as it rains over me. I cover my head, waiting for the shooting to slow down before I brush the glass off of me. "Throwing gas!"

"Halfway done!"

I hear some of the mines go off, leaning over the window edge to take down enemies who got too close to the stairs. The turret helps, and I shift sides to cover the other set of stairs. The nest begins to grow hot and stuffy, and I rub the sleeve of the uniform over my face before reloading and going back to covering the stairs.

"I'm hit!"

My heart drops at the cry, more rounds whizzing past my head as I stop firing. Logan spares a glance back, but continues to fire at the Federation. My breath catches in my throat but I force myself to respond. "Hesh?!"

"I'm fine, keep covering me!"

I grit my teeth, throwing more tear gas down the stairs as I make my way over to Hesh. I try to check the wound, but he brushes me away.

"Kick, data's secure. Make the call."

 _"Check. Good work, guys."_

"Time to cover our exit. Pop some smoke." Merrick yells, slowly retreating back. We follow his lead, throwing smoke behind us as we move into the next room. Keegan slams a button on the wall, the heavy door shutting behind us as we move into the elevator. Hesh pokes at the wound and I reach out to grab his hand and stop him.

"Let me check it."

Hesh sighed, nodding. I pulled out my flashlight, looking into the tear on his jacket as I checked it over. He knew I wasn't going to let it go, and I needed to check it while we had time. "Got lucky, it's just a graze. Bleeding heavy, though. You'll need stitches once we get back." He shrugs out of his blouse, letting me put gauze over it for the time being.

"Time check. Twenty-three fifty-six."

 _"Check."_

"We're going out the same way we came in. Keep your weapons low but ready. Alex, start limping. Someone help her." Merrick commands. I can't move fast enough before Logan lands another sharp kick to my knee and I hold a curse back. I glare at him and he shrugs before letting me lean against him.

"That's for punching me."

 _It's definitely going to bruise,_ I thought bitterly as the elevator slowed to a stop. Merrick raises his hands, yelling out as he points to me and Logan. The Federation waves us forward, a small group of them heading into the elevator themselves. The sprinkler drenches our uniforms as we head back towards the vehicles. We walk past the blast doors, one of them pulling the drill out from the shadows.

 _"They're starting to round up their own guys."_

"We can see that."

 _"I suggest you start moving a little quicker."_

Once we get passed that group, Logan lets me go again. I raise my fist to punch his arm again before letting it go with a defeated sigh. That would draw more attention that what we needed. A soldier reaches out for Keegan, and he helps the injured man to a nearby chair before we keep moving.

 _"We just lost our eyes."_

"They found the plant."

A dog growled when we walk by, the beast lunging for our feet as the handler pulls him back. Merrick picks up the pace, turning it into a slow jog as we try to hurry through. The metal detector starts beeping when we run through, no one paying it any mind in the midst of the chaos. We get back to the truck, taking our previous seats as Keegan begins the drive out.

"Merrick, the data we just grabbed... it contains kill estimates."

"Kill estimates?" Merrick repeats, looking at Hesh through the rear view mirror.

"For cities all over the U.S. Toledo, Lexington, Chicago..."

"Kick, we're exiting the base now." Merrick interrupts Hesh. I didn't blame him. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear it myself. "Exfil will be here in two minutes."

 _"Good luck guys."_

I pull the balaclava down, letting my skin breathe as Keegan pulls the truck to a stop at a security check point. The guard frowns at me, turning to Keegan when Hesh shoots him in the chest, Keegan slamming the pedal down and getting us out. Logan gets on the turret above, shooting grenades at the following trucks. I set a quick timer on my watch before turning to help Logan. Keegan rams into a truck, throwing me to the side before driving off road.

"Logan, shoot the ice!" I yell before checking my watch. "One minute!" An RPG slams into the ice next to the truck, Keegan swerving to avoid it.

"Neptune this is Merrick, we're inbound for a hot exfil!"

 _"Understood, we will be in position in forty-five seconds."_

I shoot the driver of a truck that had caught up to us, turning back to the frozen river behind us. Logan continues launching grenades, Keegan only further enforcing the fact that he shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a vehicle. "Thirty seconds!" I yell out, grabbing the side of the truck as Keegan swerves under a bridge.

"Neptune, we are at the extraction point, over."

 _"Neptune One is on station. Surfacing now."_ The sub breaks the ice, opening the hatch as we jump out of the truck and hurry in. I slide down the ladder, wanting to get as far away from the Andes as possible.

 **...**

 **A/N: I do apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I may or may not have gotten caught up playing Siege. Oops. Anyway, it might have ended up getting rushed here towards the end. I'll re-read it over tomorrow, I just wanted to get this posted as soon as I could. It's six am and ya girl is tired.**


	17. Apprehension

**A/N: First off, huge thank you to those who recently followed and favorited this fic. I really do appreciate it. Ghosts is one of my favorite games in general and I had started to think no one was reading this fic any more. Next, once again, I planned the chapter for it to go its own way. Seems to be a common theme lately and I wonder if this is what people mean when they say let the characters write the story. Merrick's wikia page is a little confusing about his current rank before Sin City, so I went with** **Lieutenant, as it's on the list right before Captain on the page.** **Nonetheless, do enjoy!**

 **...**

"There is no reason that things should have gotten as out of hand as they did." Merrick folded his arms across his chest, glaring at the two men seated in front of him. Neither of them spoke and I traded an un-easy glance with Logan. "I let it go then because we needed to be mission ready but we're currently awaiting clearance on our next. I have the time _and_ the go ahead from our commanding officer to address the matter at hand."

To refer to Elias as anything but Captain or Scarecrow was another level. Merrick usually stuck with the given callsigns. Keegan stayed silent, keeping his gaze focused on one spot. He had been quiet when we first joined the Ghosts, slowly warming up to us over time. Keegan was like Merrick in the sense of having a perfect record while being part of Task Force Stalker, just take away the resentfulness that came with the Lieutenant.

"Do either of you have anything to say?"

Two hot heads mixing did not go well for anyone involved. Hesh had learned some discipline over the years, a lot even, but he was never one to back down. He sat up a little straighter before meeting Merrick's eye. "It was simply a sparing match, _sir._ Logan and Alex had one of their own a couple of weeks ago."

"Neither of them gave my scout sniper a black eye, or-"

"Alex is our-"

"I'm well aware that Alex is our field medic, Hesh. You fail to see the point which is that both Alex and Logan knew their limits. Neither of them let a _simple sparring match_ get out of hand to injure the other."

Logan rolled his eyes, leaning forward to pat Riley as the shepherd wandered over in the midst of the rising conflict. Riley let his tongue hang out of his mouth, enjoying the attention from the younger Walker. I played with the chain of my dogtags, my fingers running over the engagement ring from Hesh. A part of me still wanted to give it back, knowing that it belonged to his mom but I wasn't sure how that conversation would go. _Hey, the answer is still a yes but I also can't accept the ring. I know this means a lot to you but I really can't take something that belonged to your mother, whether Elias said it was okay or not._ I was a mess.

"Merrick, we knew our limits. We called it a draw before either of us were seriously injured. The spar did escalate to a point that I shouldn't have allowed and it won't happen again. Lesson learned." Keegan paused, frowning for a moment. "Besides, you know Alex would kick our asses. You should have seen her when Hesh refused his stitches."

 _Ah, that too._ There had been times before were I needed to patch Logan or Hesh up in the field, but it had never been anything serious. Even when Logan had been stabbed during the attack on Fort Santa Monica, or when Hesh had been shot on our last op the day prior. Both times I feared the worse. I had even disobeyed the order from Hesh to stay back because I feared losing him too much. Hesh had tried to bring it up a few times, but as soon as he approached me I feigned having an immediate errand to do.

"Don't let it happen again." Merrick dropped his arms and walked away before turning back to face Hesh one last time. "You do have your own bunk, try to use it for it's intended purposes." He stayed there for a minute, before finally heading out the door.

"Glad that's over." Logan huffed, leaning back into his seat. I silently agreed. Losing my father and finding out the truth about my mother was hard enough to deal with alongside the war. I couldn't imagine having to deal with it without Logan and Hesh by my side. Rifts were slowly starting to form between everyone here and I feared we were going to lose to each other before Rorke had the chance to wipe us out. "Sorry about the knee, by the way. You're a terrible actor."

"Something tells me you're not really sorry." I reached down to rub my knee as Logan chuckled. It had left a bruise, an ugly mixture of green and yellow. Keegan left some time shortly, soon followed by Logan and Riley. It left me and Hesh alone in the room. I was all out of excuses. Hesh stayed in his seat for a moment, staring at the ground. I could see the gears turning in his head, both of us searching for the right words.

"You got a minute?" Hesh finally spoke, looking at me with a careful eye.

"Yeah, sure."

"I don't want to bother you if you don't, you've been busy for the entire day."

It came out a lot harsher then he intended. The air lay heavy with unspoken thoughts, words neither of us wanted to speak. I had been purposely avoiding Hesh. I didn't want to face him after what happened in Yucatan, and I still felt the same way after our operation in the Andes. I didn't want to talk about any of it. About the Federation, about Rorke. I was sick of it already.

"You haven't really been busy though. We all had downtime after we got back to the sub." Hesh continued talking. There was no lying to him. "I had asked Rodriguez if she knew where you went after you delivered that paperwork to her and she said she never saw you."

"I lied to you Hesh because I didn't want to talk to you! It's always about _are you okay_ or the fucking Federation or Rorke. Our next op, _are you okay now?_ I'm tired of it. Rorke is bothering me enough. Anytime we get close to him it's _Natalie this_ or _Natalie that._ I'm not my mom. He took her away from me and now he wants to do the same with everyone I have left."

"You could have told me you needed the space, Alex."

"Would you have listened?"

Hesh stayed silent. He wouldn't have listened and we both knew it. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I joined the Army alongside them because I had nothing else to do. I was tired of losing people and watching people around me keeping dying. Being a medic made me feel like I could make a difference, but now the stalemate everyone was at seemed like there was nothing we could do. We were fighting a losing war. Rorke was too smart, too determined. Everyone here thought we could do something about it, everyone but me. I took the engagement ring off of the chain.

"I think you should take this back." I stood to cross the room, holding the ring out carefully. Hesh eyed it before turning his gaze to me.

"What are you saying, Alex?"

"I think you should give it back to your father. It belonged to your mother, it's not right that I have it."

" _My father?"_ Hesh repeated with a frown. "Since when is he not Elias to you? If you're giving it back because you don't want to be engaged anymore, just say it Alex."

"That's not what-"

"Oh yeah? Cause it sure fucking sounds like it." Hesh stood, not throwing me a second glance as he stormed out of the room. I sunk into his abandoned seat, biting the inside of my lip as I tried desperately to fight back the tears that overwhelmed me.

 **...**

 **A/N: I wanted to add more but I don't know where else I could have taken this. I hoped that fight didn't seem out of the blue, aside from the conversation Hesh had with Alex in her bunk I was trying to hint and build up that an argument was to come. I could have done a better job, and it could probably be vastly improved. I do have another chapter being worked on, but I'm unsure about posting it to this fic. It's going to be a flashback for the whole chapter, so if anyone is interested in reading that or if I should leave it, please let me know. I'm really unsure. Nonetheless, thank ya for reading and I shall see you next time.**


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